Title: Soft-Shell Crabs, Pecan Monteleone
Categories: Appetizer Seafood Southern
Yield: 16 Servings

4		Crabs, soft-shell; quartered
		Flour, seasoned
6	tb	Butter
1	tb	Green onion; finely chopped
1	tb	Parsley; chopped
1/2	c	Absinthe liquer
3		Egg yolks
1/2	c	Cream
		Salt
		Pepper
16		Tomato slices
16		Bread rounds; toasted
1/2	c	Pecans; chopped
	ds	Pepper, cayenne

Clean soft-shell crabs, dry with paper towel, and cut each crab into 4 parts. Toss crabs very lightly in seasoned flour. Melt butter in heavy skillet; when hot, put in crabs, shell side down. Reduce heat and saute crabs until brown. Turn crabs and brown on other side. When brown all over, remove to hot platter and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon of very finely chopped onion and parsley to butter remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 cup absinthe and simmer for 5 minutes. Have ready the yolks of 3 eggs beaten together with 1/2 cup of cream. Add this to absinthe broth, being careful not to let the broth boil afte rthe egg mixture has been added. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place tomato slice on tasted bread round, top with 1/4 piece of soft-shell crab, spoon over absinthe sauce, and sprinkle with chopped pecans and cayenne pepper.

NOTE: This recipe won first place in the hors d'oeuvre division at the third annual (1972) Crab Cooking Olympics held in San Francisco.

SOURCE: Southern Living Magazine, December, 1972. Typed for you by Nancy Coleman.

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