Recipes Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches with Pancetta and Remoulade 2 Reviews Chef Way Bruce Sherman places crabs and pancetta on small rounds of brioche slathered with homemade remoulade (mayonnaise mixed with mustard, capers, cornichons and herbs). He then sprinkles them with bits of hard-boiled egg and dresses the plate with a caper-brown butter sauce.Easy Way Prepare hefty soft-shell crab sandwiches by layering salty slices of pancetta, slabs of tomato and a remoulade made with store-bought mayonnaise. Skip the fancy plating, omitting the eggs and the butter sauce. More Recipes from Bruce Sherman By Bruce Sherman Bruce Sherman Why Because he knows the importance of restraint, and it shows in his French-American cuisine. "I'm not interested in inventing new rules," Sherman says. "I like combining ingredients in an interesting way." Born Highland Park, IL, 1961. Education École Supérieure de Cuisine Française Ferrandi, Paris. Experience The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago; Eric Frechon, Paris. Career turning point "I'd been groomed to become a doctor or a lawyer. But in college I realized I could do whatever I damn well pleased." Most memorable experience "Living in India for three and a half years. My wife was working for a humanitarian agency there, and I was a dependent spouse—a career I highly recommend. I got to travel around and learn how to cook Indian food in homes and hotels in Kerala, and I got to work with Rajasthani villagers, teaching them how to cook Western food." His favorite items on North Pond's menu The egg appetizers. "They're never popular, but I keep them on the menu anyway, just because I can." On his nightstand Burgundy Stars by William Echikson, the story of chef Bernard Loiseau's search for the third Michelin star at his restaurant, La Côte d'Or. Loiseau committed suicide in February 2003, after the restaurant's GaultMillau rating dropped two points. "The whole thing hit me pretty hard. It forces you to put everything in perspective." How he keeps his perspective "At North Pond, we decided to add a dollar to the price of every wine bottle and donate it to charity, and match it with an extra dollar per bottle from the profit off the wine list." Won Best New Chef at: North Pond, Chicago Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 17, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Tina Rupp Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3 cornichons, finely chopped 1 tablespoon minced red onion 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon 1 teaspoon capers, chopped 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 slices of pancetta (2 ounces) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 jumbo soft-shell crabs All-purpose flour, for dusting 4 large brioche buns, split and toasted One 5-ounce bunch of arugula, trimmed 1 large tomato, thinly sliced Directions In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, cornichons, red onion, tarragon, capers and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, arrange the pancetta slices in a single layer. Place a flat pot lid, slightly smaller than the skillet, directly on the pancetta to weight it down. Cook over moderate heat, turning once, until the pancetta is crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to paper towels and wipe out the skillet. In the skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Season the soft-shell crabs with salt and pepper and dust them generously with flour. Add the crabs to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Spread the remoulade on the cut sides of the buns. Arrange the pancetta on the bottoms and top with the arugula, tomato slices and crabs. Close the sandwiches, cut them in half and serve. Suggested Pairing Vivid, red cherry-inflected rosé, such as one from the Russian River Valley. Rate it Print