I had never thought of putting anything in a soft shell crab until I saw this recipe from Capt. Fred G Reitze of Catonsville. He had you simply add a smear of prepared mustard but it got me thinking. I landed on a more traditional “deviled” approach, whisking mayonnaise, mustard powder and horseradish together to make a thicker, eggier sauce that was a little less bracing and suited the crab better. It really allowed the crab to shine while adding a burst of flavor. Highly recommend.
Soft shells can be a little daunting. I highly recommend buying them live. I know it sounds scary but they are guaranteed to be super fresh and will, if left under a wet cloth and allowed to breathe, allow you a day or so to cook them up. To clean the crabs, use kitchen shears or a knife to cut off the “face” of the crab where the eyes are, about a quarter inch in. One big, straight snip. Then, cut off the “apron” which is the flap on the bottom of the crab. Lift the points of each side of the shell and pull out the gills. That’s it!
“Deviled” Soft Shell Crabs
Ingredients
- 6-8 soft shell crabs cleaned
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat about a half inch of canola oil in a large skillet. For flavor, you can a tablespoon of butter.
- Meanwhile, arrange the crabs on a platter. Whisk together the mayo, ground mustard and horseradish in a ramekin. Spread a small amount of the mixture on each crab, under the shell where the gills were. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl or dish, whisk together the flour, corn starch and remaining spices. Dredge each crab in the flour mixture and fry, in batches as needed, until golden. When the crabs are fully cooked, you will notice that they seem more “solid”, less floppy than they were when raw. They will also turn red under the flour coating.
- Drain on paper towel lined platter and serve immediately or keep warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve.
A version of this post appeared in Aspics, Chicken Salad, and Ice Cold Celery: Finding Community through Maryland Recipes and the recipe is adapted from Maryland Cooking compiled by the Maryland Home Economics Assoc.
These sound amazing!