There are many things that can only be enjoyed for a short period of time once a year: the blooming of cherry blossoms, the picking of pumpkins, the delicious treat of fresh picked strawberries and crabs molting their exoskeletons.
Okay, so maybe that last one doesn’t sound so appealing.
Starting with the first full moon in May, the blue crab begins its molting season to accommodate growth during the summer season. If you catch the crab after it molts, but before the new shell starts hardening, you have a soft shell crab.
The season can go all the way into the early fall month of October, but the soft shell crabs are truly at their peak during the months of June and July.
When picking up soft shell crabs from your local fish monger be sure that they’re staring back at you when you pick them out. They should be alive and moving before cooking and eating. Most fishmongers will do the dirty job of removing the gills, cutting off the face and removing what’s known as the apron, found on the underside of the belly.
I know it sounds monstrous to do such a thing, but it is definitely well worth it. If you do not plan on cooking them right away, you should, unfortunately, take on the daunting task of face, gills and abdomen removal yourself. Crabs decompose at a rapid rate; therefore, it’s best to keep them alive as close to cooking time as possible.
Soft shell crabs are always best when eaten fried, of course, and your typical flour, egg and breadcrumb coating will do. If you’re looking for a light fry, a tempura batter is nice as well. It lightly coats the outside, but still provides that lip-smacking crispness.
Soft shell crab can be eaten right out of the pan, to be sure, or devoured on a toasted bun with some tangy tartar sauce, which is the way I personally prefer. Or, if you’re serving up the perfect early summer appetizer, over a bed of local greens with in-season vegetables will also do.
The recipe I’ve provided below is a simple take on frying up soft shell crabs. Brown butter adds a nice nutty accent along with the classic old bay seasoning. I don’t think June could get any better than this. Enjoy!
Brown Butter Soft Shell Crab with Tangy Tartar Sauce
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
4-6 soft shell crabs, prepped and cleaned
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 whole dill pickle, chopped fine
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet over low While the skillet is preheating combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a medium bowl combine the cornmeal, old bay seasoning and salt. Dredge each crab, one at a time, in the cornmeal mixture; shake any excess off and set aside.
- Place the stick of butter in the preheated skillet. Swirl the butter around to melt evenly. Once the butter has melted it should begin to brown and produce a nutty aroma. Turn the heat up to medium and add 2-3 crabs, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until the crabs become golden and crispy. Adjust the heat if necessary. Repeat with remaining crabs.
- Serve the crab over greens or on a toasted bun with tangy tartar sauce and lemon wedges. Drizzle with more brown butter if desired. Enjoy immediately!
Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir and their two dogs.Kayleigh is in her third season as Sous Chef at a private kitchen in Southampton. Not only is she second in command but her main focus is on creating, preparing and executing cold dishes such as salads, hors d’œuvres, appetizers, canapés, pâtés and terrines. Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 15 years, working her way up in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on RiverheadLOCAL.com.Got questions? Recipes? Ideas? [contact-form-7 id=”26578″ title=”Write to Kayleigh”]
