Ultramarine and Soft Shell Crabs

Now is the season for soft shelled crabs. Our friends are aficionadoes of both Champagne and soft shelled crabs. Since the season for soft shelled crabs is very short, we have to be on the look out for it when our local seafood purveyors advertise the availability.
Friday was that day! My husband scored 8 soft shelled crabs and during the days preceeding this event. He researched recipes using soft shelled crabs. There is the typical battered and fried soft shelled crab but my husband went rogue and found a recipe from Craig Claiborne which called for making a compound butter using onion powder, paprika, sea salt, marjoram, black pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, all spice, combined in mayo, dijon mustard, cider vinegar and a few more dashes of cinnamon. The cleaned soft shelled crabs were then dredged in rice flour, pan fried and then slattered with the compound butter.
The soft shelled crab was served with sugar snap peas and Jasmine rice.

The Ultramarine was the perfect accompanying potent potable with flavors of strawberry and sour cherries. It was a 2017 Heitz Vineyard rosé, with disgorgement date of December 2, 2021. It was the second time we were privileged to have this sparkling, enjoying it both times!