Recipes by Diana Sands: Soft Shell Crab Appetizer; Steamed Lobsters

Diana Sands' Soft Shell Crab Appetizer

Dozen soft shell crabs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Milk
3/4 cup flour
Lemon wedges
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fine cracker crumbs
Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
Parsley

1. Have market clean crabs or if you caught them yourself, wash carefully in cold water. With sharp knife, remove feathery substance from side points and sandbags from under shell, between the eyes. Cut off apron that folds under body from rear.

2. Drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cover with milk, let stand about 30 minutes. Roll in flour, egg, then in cracker meal. Heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. (or until bread cube browns in 60 seconds). Add few crabs at a time and fry about 5 minutes (or until golden). Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve at once with parsley and lemon wedges or mayonnaise or tartar sauce.

Diana Sands' Steamed Lobsters

4 live lobsters, each weighing about 2 lbs.
Ocean water (or salted water--1 tbsp. salt per 1 qt. water)
Melted butter
Cut lemon

1. Place lobsters in deep kettle of briskly boiling ocean (or salted) water. Boil 7-10 minutes (or until lobster turns bright red). Do not overcook or meat will become tough and stringy.

2. Remove lobsters from water. Serve hot with melted butter and cut lemon wedges; or cold with mayonnaise (or tartar sauce). To eat a lobster: break off claws, crack with hammer (or nutcracker) and pull out meat. Break small claws and suck out meat.

3. Split open body, spread open. Discard dark vein running length of body. Remove small sac on back of head. Do not take out edible green and coral parts. Serves four generously.