Soft-Shell Crab Pannenkoeken
Soft shell crab season is still very much upon us and this soft shell crab pannenkoeken recipe showcases it in a delicious way. What are pannenkoeken? They are Dutch pancakes similar to a French crepe, but not quite as thin. Pannenkoeken are served with both sweet or savory toppings, and sometimes both. The batter recipe is simple, containing just flour, milk, salt, and eggs.
Cameron’s Seafood’s Maryland soft shell crabs are delicious and easy to use; their buttery and flavorful meat makes them the perfect ingredient to include in this dish. The crabs are already cleaned for you and frozen right after they are caught, ensuring freshness.
The sweet crab meat, salty bacon, caramelized leeks, and crispy cheese combine on this soft thin pancake to cover all of the flavor profiles. Learn how to make Dutch pancakes and serve them for brunch, lunch, or dinner!
Soft Shell Crab Pannenkoeken
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Cameron’s Maryland soft shell crabs thawed
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 leek cleaned well and sliced
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1½ cups white cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp butter
Instructions
- It is a good idea to make the pannenkoeken batter first and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This allows the gluten in the batter to relax and makes for a tender pancake.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, and ¼ tsp of salt until just a few lumps remain. Set the batter in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
- Drizzle olive oil over the soft shell crabs and season them with salt and pepper. Set the crabs on a foil lined cookie sheet and broil them in the oven for 3 minutes. Take the sheet out of the oven, flip the crabs over, and place them back in the oven for another 3-4 minutes until cooked and slightly crisp. When the crabs have cooled, dice them into 1-inch pieces.
- While the crabs are cooking you can start on the leeks and the bacon. In a small frying pan, heat the cooking oil and add the leeks. Cook until they are very soft and starting to caramelize. In a separate medium sized frying pan, cook the diced bacon until golden and crispy.
- Make sure you have the crab, bacon, leeks, and cheese close at hand when you start cooking your pannekoeken.
- Add the cooking oil and butter to a non-stick 12-inch frying pan and melt over medium heat. Make sure the pan is coated in the butter and oil then add in a ladle of pannenkoeken batter. Carefully swirl the batter around the pan to form a thin layer. Use a few pieces of the crab, bacon, and leeks, and then cover the pancake with about ¼ cup of cheese.
- Once the pancake is set up and it looks like the bottom is browning, flip the pannekoeken over as fast as you can. The faster you do it, the easier it will be. Cook until you see the cheese browning around the edges on the bottom and then flip the pan over onto a plate. Repeat until you are out of pannekoeken batter.
- You can serve these soft shell Dutch pancakes with a dollop of sour cream, but they are also great on their own without condiments. Enjoy!
Buy Maryland Soft Shell Crab Online
You can order our 100% authentic Maryland Soft shell Crabs for delivery right to your door. We also have other great seafood options available that you can purchase from our online store.
Did you like learning how to make Dutch pancakes with crab? Do you have a favorite soft shell crab dish that you make? Show us a picture of it on Instagram! You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
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By: Melanie Craighead
