It's Time For Soft Shells!
One of the best things about living where we do is our easy access to some of the best seafood available. Right now, what’s available is the soft shell crab.
The blue crab is a wondrous thing. It starts with its name – Callinectes sapidus, or in Latin, “beautiful savory swimmer.” And the wonder continues throughout the crab’s lifecycle, particularly during the spring months when the crabs molt. Right now, crabs, essentially, are getting too big for their britches and they’re shedding their outer shells, the exoskeleton, in order to grow larger. For a very brief time, they become soft shell crabs.
The beauty here is that the entire crab is wonderfully edible. And Rosie’s here to tell you how to prepare and cook them.
When buying your crabs, be sure all fingers and toes are accounted for – there should be 4 pairs of walking legs and one large pair of pincers. You’re paying for the whole crab, so be certain all appendages are included. Those claws, particularly, make for mighty good eating!
Once you’ve procured your soft shells, they need to be cleaned. And I’m very particular about cleaning my crabs.
Thirdly, turn the crab over and remove the apron on the back.
This one happens to be a female crab.
Last thing to do is get rid of the "mustard," also known as the tomalley.
You can see the orange "mustard" in this shot, hiding up inside.
The mustard is that yellowish gunk.
Some people consider the mustard a delicacy; however, I do not. The tomalley is the hepatopancreas of a crab, i.e. the liver and pancreas. Also called “crab butter,” it’s basically a digestive gland and a filtration organ. As such, it acts as a filter and can store higher concentrations of contaminants and impurities. It’s not inherently poisonous, but because it’s a filtration organ, it can store high levels of toxins, heavy metals, pollutants, and PCBs (industrial chemicals or polychlorinated biphenyls), particularly if the crab has been in contaminated waters near industrialized areas. (We don't have to worry about that down here.) The toxins can be responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning and are not destroyed by cooking. Now that I’ve whetted your appetite, let’s get back to the soft shells!
After cleaning the crabs, I let them sit in a beaten egg bath while I prepare the batter. Flip crab over to get both sides covered in egg.
I’ve got 6 crabs, so two beaten eggs is enough to coat.
Whenever I make a flour breading mixture for frying, I also add in cornstarch - 1 part flour to 1 part cornstarch. The addition of cornstarch, according to my research and experimentation, gives you a lighter, less greasy, crispier coating by reducing excessive gluten development and inhibiting oil absorption.
Mix ingredients in a large zip-lock bag and drop in one crab at a time, shaking to coat, being sure to get all those legs, claws, nooks, and crannies. Set aside on a plate.
In a medium-sized skillet, heat oil to 350° - 375°. Place crabs, one at a time in skillet. I fry no more than two at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pan and lower the temperature of the oil, which results in greasy, not crisp. Fry about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from oil and set on rack to drain. Let the oil return to temperature, if needed, and continue frying in batches.
The soft shell is the star of this meal, so I like to keep my sides simple. I’m offering a remoulade sauce that I believe pairs much better with the soft shell than a ketchup and horseradish based cocktail sauce, which I think can almost overpower the delicacy of the crab.
A basic cole slaw is always welcome, too. Everyone has their favorite cole slaw recipe; however, if you’d like to kick up your cole slaw a notch or two, let me suggest some welcome additions. To your basic mayonnaise dressing, try adding a splash of buttermilk for a tart kick. Also, I like to add in some diced apple and a handful of dried cranberries for a hint of sweetness. Chopped radicchio will add a slightly spicy taste and a lovely color to your cole slaw also.
In addition, I have an apple slaw recipe for you that offers a palate-cleansing counterpoint to the fried crustaceans, providing a refreshing, acidic, and crunchy complement and functional contrast to the crabs.
The season is short, so enjoy the crabs while you can.
