It's that time
of year.......
Maryland
Watermen are smiling
Soft Shell Crabs are Here!
Typical Soft Shell Serving |
Soft
shell crabs usually start showing up in the Chesapeake Bay during the first
full moon in May. This year, the crabs were impatient and the season has begun
a couple of weeks early.
In
this post we'll discuss a little of the history of this seasonal treasure, how
to properly clean a soft shell crab and a delicious recipe for Crispy Soft
Shell Crab with Tabasco Mash Remoulade.
As
I mentioned earlier, the season usually begin with the first full moon in May.
That's when the water temperature is hot enough for the crabs to
"sluff" or shed their outer shell. For commercial purposes, this has
to be done in a controlled environment. Crabs with soft shells are very
vulnerable to prey.
Several weeks prior to this, watermen set their traps for
crabs, return to the dock and place the crabs in special holding tanks. As the
crabs shed their shells, they are move to a separate tank where they are held
before being shipped to market. It's a painstaking process that requires a lot
of babysitting.
Or you can do it like I did when I was a kid. Grab your crab net, an old pair of tennis shoes and walk the shallow grass flats in the Chesapeake hoping to stir one up! I must say, I was pretty successful. Enjoy the crabs!
Or you can do it like I did when I was a kid. Grab your crab net, an old pair of tennis shoes and walk the shallow grass flats in the Chesapeake hoping to stir one up! I must say, I was pretty successful. Enjoy the crabs!
Caio,
Chef
JoeFirst Step in Cleaning |
Cleaning
the crabs are pretty easy. First, using a sharp knife, remove the face of the
crab. Remember to fold the claws and legs under the crab so they don't get
accidentally cut off.
Second Step |
Next,
turn the crab over and remove the apron. By the way, a narrow apron indicates a
male crab and a wide apron indicates a female.
Last Step |
Next,
lift each tip of the tip shell and remove the lungs. The lungs are nicknamed
"devil's fingers". It's a wives tale that if you eat them you will
have stomach trouble. None the less, don't take a chance, remove them!
Now
your crabs are ready for your favorite cooking method. My two favorite are sautéed
and fried.
Crispy Soft Shell Crab
Serves
4
Seasoned
Flour:
2
cups All Purpose Flour
2
Tablespoons Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
4
each Soft Shell Crabs, cleaned
as needed Seasoned Flour
as needed Seasoned Flour
3 Eggs,
beaten with 1 Tbl. of milk
Vegetable
Oil
4
slices Vine Ripe Tomato, 3/8" thick
Extra
Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher
Salt
Black
Pepper
4
cups Baby Greens
4
Tbl. Remoulade Sauce
In
a heavy gauge skillet with tall sides, heat vegetable oil over medium high
heat. The oil should be roughly 1" deep. Check temperature with a
thermometer. Ideally, we're looking for 350 degrees. Adjust the heat as necessary. Dredge
the crabs in seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour. Dip the crabs in beaten eggs and allow excess
to drain off. Return the crabs to the seasoned flour and coat completely.
Fry
the crabs top shell down until golden and crisp, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Carefully turn the crabs and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove them
to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess grease.
Rub
tomato slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a
charcoal grill for 1 minute on each side
In
a small mixing bowl, lightly toss the greens with olive oil and a pinch of salt
and pepper.
To
plate:
Place
the tomato slice in the center of the plate and a small mound of dressed greens
above it. Place a dollop of Remoulade sauce to the right of the tomato and drag
with the back of a spoon to make a decorative swoosh. Place the crab on top of the
tomato and serve immediately.
For quick links to this blog, "LIKE" us on Facebook Landry's Seafood
facebook.com/#!/LandrysSeafood and on
our Muer Facebook pages at:
Big Fish Dearborn, MI -
facebook.com/BigFishDearborn
Big Fish Princeton, NJ -
facebook.com/BigFishPrincetonNJ
Charley's Crab Grand Rapids, MI -
facebook.com/CharleysCrabGR
Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI-
facebook.com/GandyDancer
Grand Concourse, PA -
facebook.com/GrandConcourse
Gandy Saloon, Pittsburg, PA
facebook.com/GandyDancerSaloon
Meriwether's, Southfield, MI -
facebook.com/Meriwethers
River Crab, St Clair, MI -
facebook.com/RiverCrab
For quick links to this blog, "LIKE" us on Facebook Landry's Seafood
facebook.com/#!/LandrysSeafood and on
our Muer Facebook pages at:
Big Fish Dearborn, MI -
facebook.com/BigFishDearborn
Big Fish Princeton, NJ -
facebook.com/BigFishPrincetonNJ
Charley's Crab Grand Rapids, MI -
facebook.com/CharleysCrabGR
Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI-
facebook.com/GandyDancer
Grand Concourse, PA -
facebook.com/GrandConcourse
Gandy Saloon, Pittsburg, PA
facebook.com/GandyDancerSaloon
Meriwether's, Southfield, MI -
facebook.com/Meriwethers
River Crab, St Clair, MI -
facebook.com/RiverCrab
No comments:
Post a Comment