How to Fix Soft Shell Crab
Every spring, blue crabs shed their hard shells, leaving them in a temporary "soft shell" state. Fresh soft-shell crabs are harvested in April along the Mid-Atlantic coast, when they an be purchased live; you can also buy frozen soft shells year-round. Unlike the blue crabs in the hard shell enjoyed through the summer, soft-shell crabs are cleaned before cooking and eaten whole -- no shelling involved. If you're not up for cleaning live crabs, look for cleaned fresh or frozen crab at your fish market, or ask the fishmonger to do it for you. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Kitchen shears
- Dish towels
- Buttermilk
- Bowls
- Flour
- Olive oil
- Skillet
- Paper towels
- Crab spice
- Lemon
Instructions
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1
Clean the soft shell crabs, if they haven't been cleaned already, by holding the body firmly in one hand and cutting about 1/2 inch off of the front behind the eyes. Squeeze the body to empty out the insides, then reach your finger under the shell from each side and pull out the gills. Cut off the flap of cartilage on the underside of the crab.
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2
Rinse the cleaned crabs in cold water and pat dry with a clean dish towel.
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3
Place the soft-shell crabs in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Let them soak for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
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4
Season a cup of flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
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5
Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
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6
Remove the soft shell crabs one at a time from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Dredge in the seasoned flour and saute in the olive oil for about three minutes per side, until they're soft.
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7
Drain the cooked soft shell crabs on paper towels before serving. Season with crab spice and lemon juice, if desired.
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Tips & Warnings
You can serve soft shell crab as a fish course with rice or slaw, or use it as a sandwich filling.
Once the soft shell crab has been cleaned, it must be cooked or frozen the same day.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
