I have to admit, when I put Will in charge of the
groceries and he texted me saying he bought soft shell crabs, I was
secretly delighted and equally terrified. I love soft shell crabs--every bite
is a textural thrill. And the best part is that they're in season! Mermaid Inn
has a great soft shell crab "special" over frisee and avocado for
$14--get it while you can--and Whole Foods sells them fried for $6 a piece
(which is the same price that we paid for raw crabs).
Despite my love, I was
still intimidated to cook these unique sea creatures. But believe me, if I can
do it, you can do it. I'll be honest, I did a lot of research and even watched
some YouTube videos demonstrating how to clean them. And yes, definitely clean
your crabs. In terms of preparation, it couldn't have been easier (minus the gut-wrenching
task of cutting off their heads and removing their lungs--hungry yet?); simply place your
cleaned crabs in milk and let them soak for a few minutes. While they're
soaking, make a mixture of flour, breadcrumbs, and spices (we used a mixture of
adobe seasoning, cayenne rub, salt, and pepper). Toss the crabs in the dry
mixture and heat a pan with oil until the oil is almost smoking. Add the crabs
into the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. They're amazing and so
crispy. We made our own spicy aioli with mayonnaise, lime, and cayenne pepper.
Squeeze some lemon on those crispy crabs, dip in aioli, and you're all
set!
