Soft shell crabs in tempura with apple-mango chutney

45 minutes

Mittel

4 persons

A special seafood experience: Crispy fried soft-shell crabs, coated in a delicate layer of tempura. The crabs are accompanied by a fruity apple-mango chutney and a creamy lime-mayonnaise, which give the dish a delicious flavor combination of sweetness, acidity and the exotic flair of Southeast Asia.

Ingredients

8 ready-to-cook soft-shell crabs
100 g flour
100 g cornstarch
1 cup ice-cold water
A pinch of salt
oil for frying
For the chutney:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
juice and zest of an organic lime
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 stalk of lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp fish sauce
A little salt
For the lime mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice and zest of 1/2 lime

Stefan from HONEST CATCH

Our art director Stefan is not only gifted behind the camera, but also at the stove. This recipe was written by him.

Preparation

First, prepare the apple-mango chutney. To do this, mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Beat the lemongrass a little before adding so that the aromas can be released better. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the fruit is tender and the chutney has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Remove the lemongrass and kaffir-lime leaves and puree the chutney with a blender.
For the lime mayonnaise, mix the mayonnaise, lime juice and lime zest together in a bowl. Stir the mixture well and then chill.
Heat a sufficient amount of oil to 175° C in a pan or deep fryer
Meanwhile, the tempura batter is prepared. Mix flour, cornstarch, ice-cold water and a pinch of salt together in a bowl and stir with a whisk. A few lumps in the dough are perfectly fine.
Each soft-shell crab is now dipped individually into the tempura batter and then carefully placed in the hot oil. The crabs are deep-fried for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. They are then removed from the oil with a slotted spoon and placed on kitchen paper to drain.
Serve the crispy soft-shell crabs hot with the apple-mango chutney and lime-mayonnaise as dips.

Tip: Complement this dish with an Asian cucumber and carrot salad, which is refined with roasted peanuts, a red chili pepper and fresh coriander greens. For the dressing, all you need is fish sauce, some sugar and lime juice.