Name: Soft-Shell Crabs with Wilted Spinach and Warm Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 8 soft shell crabs, cleaned (See note); 1 cup milk; flour for dusting; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup red pear or cherry tomatoes (approximately 10-12 tomatoes), halved; 1 cup yellow pear or cherry tomatoes (approximately 10-12 tomatoes), halved; 1/2 cup red beefsteak tomato cut in 1-inch dice; 1/2 cup yellow beefsteak tomato cut in 1-inch dice; 1 shallot minced; 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut julienne; 1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, to taste; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed well and stems trimmed; 1 tablespoon olive oil

When Roy Yamaguchi invited me to cook at the 5th Anniversary celebration of his Oahu restaurant, I wanted to bring him something special from my neck of the woods and decided to attempt to transport soft-shelled crabs. I say "attempt" because soft-shells are very delicate and I wasn't sure they'd survive the long trip to Hawaii. Happily, of the 10 dozen live ones we packed up, about 8 dozen were still kicking when we got to our destination. I served them with simple accompaniments like wilted spinach and a crushed summer tomato vinaigrette.

If you like using breaded soft-shell crabs, use panko, which will help maintain the visual character of the fish.