Callinectus sapidus, from both the Greek and Latin translates into English as “savory beautiful swimmers”. What a descriptive name for a delectable spring and summer treat, soft shell crabs. Soft shell season begins with the first full moon in May and ends in September. During these months, blue crabs begin the molting process. Crabs shed their hard outer shell as they grow. This may occur as many as 23 times in their three year life cycle. When the crab backs out of it’s shell, it is only soft for a few hours. Crabbers need to remove their catch from the water at this point or the shell will become hard again. Although available frozen year round, we prefer them fresh and in season. When selecting soft shells rely on your nose, they should smell fresh, like the sea. Have your fishmonger prepare them for cooking. Pack a cooler with ice to transport them home and plan on eating them the same day.
Although soft shell crabs can be baked, grilled, sauteed or deep fried, the method of cooking we like was demonstrated by David Rosengarten. In the early days of the TV Food Network, Mr. Rosengarten was the enthusiastic host of one of our favorite programs, Taste. Each episode focused on one dish that he had thoroughly researched. He would then demonstrate how to prepare the dish in what he thought was the best method possible.
His approach is first to soak the soft shells in buttermilk for an hour. This helps plump up the crabs during the cooking process. The next trick is to cook the crabs under a brick. The brick helps to squeeze out excess water, condenses the meat and makes the soft shell crabs extra crispy. A garlicky tart mojo is a great for dipping sauce for the crab.
Soft Shell Crabs with Mojo Sauce
Ingredients
Mojo sauce
- 1T olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/3 c freshly squeezed lime juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2T minced fresh cilantro
Directions
- Place olive oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Add garlic and cook slowly for about 5 minutes. The garlic should be golden, not brown.
- Add lime juice, stir and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the cilantro. Let sauce cool to room temperature.
Soft Shell Crabs
- 6 small to medium soft shell crabs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Wondra flour
- 1-2 T unsalted butter
- Season the crabs with salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup buttermilk in a shallow bowl and soak crabs for one hour. Remove crabs from buttermilk and pat dry.
- Place crabs on a plate and sprinkle Wondra flour on both sides of the crabs. Melt butter over medium high heat in a saute pan large enough to hold the crabs in a slngle layer. When the butter is melted and the foam subsides, add the crabs. Place a second pan large enough to cover the crabs over the first pan and place a heavy weight in this pan. I use my special “cooking bricks”. Cook for three minutes, turn the crabs over, top with the pan and weights again, and cook for three minutes more. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
