Soft Shell Crab Sandwich Recipes

CRISPY SOFT-SHELL CRAB SANDWICHES RECIPE

Steps:

• Stir together first 7 ingredients, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the pepper in a bowl; set aside.
• Using a sharp pair of kitchen shears, snip off mouth and eyes of crabs; squeeze out gooey matter where cut was made. Carefully raise top shell on far left of crab. Use shears to cut away feathery-looking gills; repeat procedure on right side of crab. Turn crab over, and remove tough flap from stomach.
• Stir together flour and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high until hot. Add 3 prepared crabs; cook until golden brown and aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place crabs on paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, and prepared crabs.
• Divide sauce, fried crabs, lettuce, and tomatoes evenly among potato rolls, and serve immediately.

FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees F). In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk using a fork. In a separate bowl, stir salt and pepper into the flour. Lightly salt the crab, then dip in the flour, dip in the egg, then in the flour again.
• Carefully place crabs into the deep-fryer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn over, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to eat. You can eat the whole crab.

SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat about 3 inches of oil in a saucepan to about 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk and beer until creamy. Put flour in a separate bowl. Dip soft shell crabs into wet batter and then dip into flour. Drop battered crab into hot oil. Fry crab for 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve on buns, with tartar sauce, tomato and lettuce.
• Mix mayonnaise, horseradish, pickles, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Add lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Yield: about 3 cups

DEEP-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• Heat 2 inches oil in a deep pot to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, bread crumbs, cornstarch, seafood seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chili powder together in a bowl until evenly combined. Mix milk and eggs together in a separate bowl.
• Dredge each whole crab in the flour mixture, dunk in the egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture to coat.
• Lower crabs carefully into the hot oil. Fry until they start to float, then fry for an additional minute, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain oil. Serve immediately.

SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICHES WITH SPICY TARTAR SAUCE (PO BOY)

Steps:

• Make the Tartar Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, onion, pickle, capers with spicy tartar sauce chives, Old Bay, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.
• To Cook the Crabs: In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs to coat on both sides.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the butter to the skillet and swirl the pan to melt it. Add the crabs top side down and cook, shaking the pan once or twice, until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes. The crabs may pop and splatter, so be careful.
• Flip the crabs and cook until crisp and just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the crab should read 145°F), about 3 minutes more. Transfer the crabs to a large paper-towel-lined plate.
• To Assemble the Sandwiches: Spread the tartar sauce on the 8 slices of toast. Top 4 of the toast slices, sauce side up, with a piece of lettuce and 1 or 2 slices of tomato. Put one crab on each sandwich, top with the remaining toast, sauce side down, and serve.

SOFT-SHELLED CRAB SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Have the fishmonger clean crabs, each about 2 to 3 ounces, or clean them*. In a dish combine vegetable oil, garlic cloves, Old Bay seasoning (available at fish markets), and salt and pepper to taste. Add the crabs, patted dry, turn them to coat them with the mixture, and let them marinate, covered and chilled, for at least 2 hours.
• Have ready English muffins, split in half and flattened with a rolling pin. In a small saucepan combine unsalted butter, lemon juice and parsley leaves, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste, heat the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, until the butter is just melted, and reserve it.
• Drain the soft-shelled crabs, put in a grill basket or arrange them over glowing coals for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until they turn red. Grill the English muffins, turning them once, until they are crisp and browned lightly, brush the split sides with the reserved herb butter, and sandwich 1 grilled crab between 2 muffin halves.
• To clean soft-shelled crabs:
• Rinse live soft-shelled crabs under running cold water. With scissors cut off the heads about 1/4 inch behind the eyes and cut off the white gills. Peel back the aprons, cut them off, and rinse the crabs again.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB BLT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Mix the mayonnaise, chives, and tarragon in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Cut each strip in half to make 12 pieces total.
• Pour out and reserve the bacon fat; wipe the skillet clean with paper towels.
• Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
• Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.
• Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a second dish.
• Dip each crab in the eggs, then in the flour to coat completely.
• Transfer to the baking sheet and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to set the crust.
• Heat the oil and reserved bacon fat in a large skillet over med-high heat until the oil shimmers.
• Carefully add the crabs to the skillet (the crabs could splatter, so be careful).
• Cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Using a thin slotted metal spatula, turn the crabs and cook to brown the other sides, about 3 minutes.
• Using the spatula, transfer the crabs to paper towels to drain briefly.
• Spread the buns with the herb mayonnaise.
• Top each bottom bun half with a crab, 3 bacon slices, 2 tomato slices, and a lettuce leaf, then the top bun half.
• Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.