Soft-Shelled Crabs

by Laura Donnelly — May 21, 2007

There is a brief window of opportunity every spring when Callinectes sapidus sheds its hard outer shell and becomes, for a mere few hours, that divine regional delicacy known as the soft-shelled crab. Callinectes sapidus translates literally from its Greek and Latin roots to mean "beautiful savory swimmer."

Within a crab's lifetime (about one or two years) it can shed 25 times. The female crabs, or "sooks," will molt until sexually mature, at which time they will mate once, then carry their eggs and spawn millions of babies at a time, perhaps two or three times. The male crab, or "jimmy," must, understandably, wait until the female has shed her shell so they can mate.

First he does a little dance, waving his claws around, wafting his manly cologne (pheromones) her way. If the female is receptive, she waves her orange claws back at him. After mating, the jimmy cradles the sook, carrying her around and protecting her until her hard shell grows back.

Crabs travel between brackish and salt water depending on the stage of their life cycle, the salinity they are seeking out, and water temperatures. Because of predators, currents, pollution, storms, and other menaces to the soft-shelled crab, their seasonal availability can be expensive and unreliable. The season generally runs from May to July. Due to some early spring storms, this year's crabs are available but still in the $5.00 each range. They must be packed in waxed cardboard boxes filled with seaweed or a nice bed of straw. Depending on their size, two or three per person is just about right.

Check to see how feisty they are. If they are dead, but still smell like fresh sea water, they are fine to eat that day. If I feel discouraged about the high price tag, I simply remind myself that is still cheaper to have a grand soft-shelled crab feast at home than it is to go out for a pizza or burger. I recommend you have the fishmonger clean them for you, as it is not a job for the squeamish, and I'm not going to give you the details of the procedure!

My recommendation for cooking is the simpler the better. Start with a sauté, perhaps deglazing the pan with lemon juice or wine and a pat of butter. After you've sampled the amazingly sweet meat and lightly crunchy shell, you can move on to the additions of garlic, Tabasco sauce, fermented black beans, and whatnot. But for your first soft-shelled crab of the fleeting season, let the beautiful savory swimmer show you how it earned its name.

Sautéed Soft-Shelled Crabs

Some recipes for soft-shelled crabs call for soaking them in milk first. I don't find this step necessary. For extra crunch, an excellent trick is to use Wondra flour (the kind that comes in the blue shaker can and is slightly coarse).

Serves 6

12 cleaned soft-shelled crabs
1 cup Wondra flour
Salt and pepper to taste, be generous
4 Tablespoons canola or peanut oil
Juice of two lemons
6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. In a flat dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge crabs in flour mixture, then set aside for ten minutes to let flour absorb a little bit.

2. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook six crabs at a time (if they fit), about three minutes per side, starting with top shell side down first. Cook until golden brown, about six to seven minutes total, depending on size. Repeat with other crabs and oil. Set crabs aside on platter and sprinkle with lemon juice.

3. Pour off excess fat from pan, add the butter, and let it get brown and bubbly. Pour over crabs and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.