Page 31 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2026

When my girls were little, I loved finding ways to bring them into the kitchen with
me. Cooking together wasn’t just about making dinner, it was about letting them explore ingredients, learn new flavors, and build confidence along the way. I especially enjoyed introducing them to foods that might have seemed a little scary at first. Seafood was definitely one of those ingredients, and crab legs in particular always got a “I’m not hungry,” reaction.
Living in the South, seafood is a protein staple and I didn’t want my girls to miss out on the buttery goodness the ocean has to offer. Instead of simply putting crab in front of them and hoping for the best, I decided to turn it into
Ingredients
2 cups shredded cabbage
2-3 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp sugar
1⁄2 large red apple (thinly sliced) 1⁄2- 1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp honey
1 lemon (juiced)
2 stalks green onion (thinly sliced)
something fun and interactive. That’s when tempura came into the picture.
Light, crispy, and golden, tempura has a way of making just about anything irresistible. I would set up a simple station where the girls could help dip the crab into batter before it hit the hot oil. Watching it puff up and turn perfectly crisp always brought big smiles and made them curious to try it.
To go along with the crunchy seafood, I
paired it with a creamy, zesty comeback sauce. It quickly became one of those dishes that brought everyone to the table, excited and ready to dig in together. I’ve written a recipe for the tempura, comeback sauce, and a fresh slaw that is sure to make family dinner even better.
Tempura
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 lbs steamed crab legs (shell removed knuckle down for batter)
1 cup all purpose flour
1⁄2 cup corn starch
1 tsp baking powder Canola oil
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup club soda (ice cold) 1 tsp honey
Directions
• In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well.
• To the same mixing bowl, add club soda, egg, and honey. Mix gently but well.
• Heat oil to 350°F.
• Dip the crab legs into the
batter, covering the exposed meat. Allow the excess to drip off.
• Fry battered crab for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, set aside on a rack.
• Continue the process until all of the crab is fried.
Cook time for other seafood proteins:
• Large shelled,
deveined, tail on
raw shrimp. Pat dry before battering. Cook 3-4 minutes or until brown.
• Steamed Lobster tail, tail on, shell off. Cook 3-4 minutes or until brown.
• Oysters. Pat dry before battering. Cook 2-3 minutes or until brown.
Slaw
Comeback Sauce
Directions
• In a large mixing bowl with lid, add mayonnaise, honey, sugar, black pepper, and lemon. Whisk well.
• Incorporate the cabbage, gently, until it is well dressed with the slaw sauce.
• Add apple and green onion, incorporate gently.
• Cover the mixing bowl with the lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise 2 tbs ketchup
1 tbs honey
1⁄2 tsp lemon juice
Directions
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp smoked paprika
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
April 2026 | 31
• In a mixing bowl with a lid, add mayonnaise, ketchup, honey, and lemon juice. Whisk well.
• Add spices and mix well.
• Cover with a lid and chill for 30 minutes.
• Serve.