When shopping for softshells, the softer the better. Feel the ‘spikes’ rimming the top shell. If they are sharp like thorns, they’re going to need deep frying. Also, feel the weight of several similar sized crabs. The heavier they are the less time they’ve spent out of the water. If the eyes are sunken into the head the crab is past its prime.

Pan frying is an easy and tasty way to cook softshells.

SOFTSHELL CRABS

-6 portions-

12 Velvet Soft Shell Crabs

Clarified Butter

Canola Oil

Flour

Juice of 2 lemons

Chopped Fresh Parsley

Heat a large cast iron pan. Dredge soft crabs in flour & shake off excess. When pan is hot, add 1/2 canola oil & 1/2 clarified butter, enough to fill pan 1 centimeter. Lay crabs in pan with backs facing down. When the crabs brown, turn and finish cooking on the other side. This takes approximately two minutes.

Mix together in a small bowl, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon clarified butter. Brush the crabs with the mixture. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

TEMPURA PAPERSHELL CRABS

-4 appetizer portions-

4 Softshell Crabs (Cleaned)

Tempura Batter

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Cold Water

1 handful Ice Cubes

1 gallon Canola Oil or Peanut Oil

Sea Salt

Clean crabs by using scissors to trim off legs except for claws, then pull the back shell off, cut out the gills, and the apron. Cut the crab into two pieces leaving a claw on each half.

Fill a deep pot to hold Canola Oil and heat to 375°. Make sure the pot not so full of oil as to boil over.

Mix flour and baking soda in a bowl, when mixed well whisk in the cold water. Make sure no lumps of flour exist, then add ice cubes. The batter needs to be cold and relatively thin.

Dredge crabs in the batter and shake off excess batter. Place in oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

FRESH SOFT SHELL CRABS STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT

- 6 portions -

12 live hotel prime soft shell crabs

1 1/2 lbs. fresh crabmeat

3 T. good quality whole grain mustard

1 egg plus 1 yolk

1/2 c. mayonnaise

Clarified butter

fresh lemon thyme or tarragon

flour

cast iron pan

To clean the soft shells use scissors to cut behind the eyes. Remove them in one piece along with the tiny sac that is attached to them. Lift each of the flaps at the end and remove the ‘dead man’s fingers.’ Turn the crab over and pull off the apron. (A male’s apron looks like the Washington Monument, a female’s the Capital building).

Make the crab stuffing mixture by stirring together the mayonnaise, mustard, and egg. Gently fold in the crab.

Heat the pan, medium hot, and add 1/2″ clarified butter. Cover the soft shells in flour then pat off as much as possible. Lay them top side down in the pan. BE VERY CAREFUL, THEY POP! Cook for 1-2 minutes and turn over. Cook for 1 minute more. Lift the flaps and fill with crab stuffing. Finish them in the oven for 1 minute. Lay them on your plate, warmed, and strain the butter. Add some herb and spoon a bit over each crab.

Softshell crab season is here! At its best, is the sweet essence of crab. At its worst its a fry‑able, crunchy delight. There is hardly a creature that won’t stalk this culinary treat: Herons, seagulls, osprey, crows, raccoons, muskrats, snakes, fish and, of course, us. Even other crabs find softshells too good to resist.

Tasty softshells from the Chesapeake Bay

A softshell crab is no more than a local blue crab, callinectes sapidus, that has recently shed its shell, as all crustaceans must do in order to grow. The molting, or shedding, process begins with a ‘peeler’ which is getting ready to molt. In the days before the crab is ready to actually shed, it develops a ‘sign’ on a segment of its backfin that tells the crabbers just how close it is to shedding. The art of reading these signs was the key to making softshell consumption a viable industry.

A white line on the backfin means that the crab is a ‘green’, a pink makes it a ‘ripe’, and a dark red sign tells us that it is a ‘cherry ripe’ or ‘rank’ and shedding is imminent. Finally, there is the ‘buster’ that has actually started the process by separating its top shell from its bottom shell.  From the time the crab begins to ‘bust’ until it has left its old shell behind can take anywhere from 3-30 minutes.

As long as the newly molted crab remains in the water its new shell continues to harden. A fresh softshell crab is heavy for its size, and older ones are lighter. That’s because once it’s out of the sea, the crab evaporates the water from its body in an attempt to keep cool.

Leaving the crab in the water for 8‑12 hours after molting allows it to develop enough cartilage to survive being shipped to wholesalers and, eventually, restaurants. Removal from the water halts the hardening process. Therein lies the secret to ‘velvet’ softshell crabs. The sooner they are removed from the water after they shed, the softer they will be. The less time spent out of the water before being cleaned, the more salt water they contain, providing a moister, more flavorful crab.

Next…. Catching softshells.

Spring for a mid-Atlantic foodie is all about asparagus, baby greens and fresh crab! Chef Jimmy Snead has been buying his crabmeat from the same fisherman since 1987, and now he brings Virginia’s best to The Boathouse.

Snead found his secret source when he was working with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. A crab specialist there steered him toward a particular fisherman, from whom Snead has been buying ever since. The Boathouse has been using local frozen crabmeat during the off season, but the end of March marks the first shipment of fresh spring crab, with its superior texture and flavor.

The Boathouse combines this seasonal delicacy with Rockfish – a spiny grey fish long considered one of the Chesapeake Bay’s great seafood treasures. The two together are a classic Mid-Atlantic pairing of local, seasonal ingredients to enjoy on the waterfront.