Smoked Soft-Shell Crab @ Redemption
Back in the 1980s, when Christian's was one of the most popular restaurants in town in its unique antique church quarters, its brilliant chef Roland Huet had a wild idea. He had been playing around with cold-smoked fish--notably salmon and amberjack. How would soft-shell crabs smoke? he wondered. He tried, and thought the technique had promise. Four smokers later, he had it perfected, and a dish so good that diners would dispatch it in just a few bites became a Christian's classic. Christian's didn't return after the hurricane, unfortunately. When the old church became a new restaurant called Redemption, the customers immediately began to ask for the smoked soft-shell. Only when Chef Greg Picolo showed up in 2011 was the deed done. And you can have this unique appetizer (or entree, with two crabs) again.
