Dirty Dishes: Poor Man's Surf & Turf with Grilled Vegetables

Late spring is a great time for seasonal ingredients.  In the midwest, asparagus, fennel and ramps (wild leeks) are all in season in the later spring months due to the mild temperatures.  This time of year, in mid-Atlantic states, is also soft shell crab season.  

I spent 2011 living in Virignia Beach, VA and there were two things I fell in love with - $0.50 Oysters at Big Sam’s on Rudee’s Inlet (Virginia Beach), the crab cake platter at the Beach Pub on Laskin Rd (Virginia Beach) and soft shell crab.  Upon returning to Chicago, I knew that I would never find $0.50 oysters again and, quite frankly, crab cakes in Chicago are all filler.  However, I search far and wide for soft shell crab and finally found them at Isaacson & Steins at Fulton & Halsted.  I usually get a dozen of them, freeze them and pull them out for paella (instead of prawns) or as a topper for steak or, in the case of this blog, a big cheeseburger.  They come already cleaned and de-gilled so minimal preparation is needed prior to cooking.

Soft shell crabs come in different sizes, see below:

Whales = > 5.5” Wide; 5.9 oz (average)

Jumbos = 5” - 5.5” Wide; 4.5 oz (average)

Primes = 4.5” - 5” Wide; 3.3 oz (average)

Hotels = 4” - 4.5” Wide; 2.5 oz (average)

Mediums = 3.5” - 4” Wide; 1.8 oz (average)

Note: I have only seen Hotels and Mediums in Chicago.  The Beach Pub in Virignia Beach makes a soft shell crab sandwich that uses Primes to Jumbos.

This recipe combines two of my favorite things - cheeseburgers and crab - with the spiciness of brown mustard and sriracha to give a great flavor and texture.  I call this poor man’s surf & turf because your turf is ground beef that is, on average, $4.99 / pound and the soft shell crab which I got for $3 each.  In this meal, I added a thick slice of Cabot Catamount Hills cheese and a side of grilled vegetables.  

Makes 2 - 3 Servings

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Block Cabot Catamount Hills Cheese (or other white sharp cheddar), thinly sliced

2 - 3 Whole Wheat Buns

Sriracha, to taste

Brown Mustard, to taste (I prefer Bertman’s Stadium Mustard from Cleveland, OH...I challenge you to find a better brown mustard)

Break the ground beef into 1/3 lb patties.  Set aside and allow to come to room temperature (about 1 hour prior to grilling).

Preparing the Soft Shell Crabs

2 - 3 Soft Shell Crabs (Hotels)

3 tsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, Peeled and Minced

1 tsp Lemon Juice

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a shallow bowl, combines olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and the Herbes de Provence.  Rinse the crabs and gently pat dry.  Gently dredge each crab through the marinade and coat on all sides; set aside.  

Preheat the grill to high.  

Place the soft shell crabs on the hot grill and cook 3 - 4 minutes per side, turning once and basting with the marinade.  Remove from the grill to a serving dish and splash with lemon juice.

Grill the burgers simultaneously to medium-rare, flipping once.  Top with the cheese and allow to melt while still on the grill.  Remove to bun and top with soft shell crab and any other garnish - BOOM!  Surf and Turf!

Preparing the Grilled Vegetables

For the grilled vegetables, I basically took anything I had laying around.  This time I had one green pepper and one yellow squash.  The preparation and grilling method does not change no matter what vegetable you use...see below:

Cut all vegetables on the crosswise bias.

Place in a large bowl and add 1 Tblsp of olive oil; stir and coat.  Using a perforated grilling sheet, pan or basket, arrange the vegetables and cooking, flipping once until tender and just beginning to char; about 3 - 6 minutes. Return vegetables to the bowl and toss with fresh thyme or oregano, salt, pepper and 2 Tblsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.

Grilling season is in full swing and I will continue to grill as much as possible.  If you have any questions, please let me know via comments to this or any post or my twitter account, @dirtydishesblog.