How to Cook Soft Shell Crab is an easy pictorial featuring a delicious way to serve up some delicious seafood your family and friends will love!

These little crustaceans are easily prepared with a few snips, batter and a quick fry in hot oil. I’m going to walk you through a few easy steps and show you how simple it is.

If your new to seafood or just want to add another dish to your cookbook this one is a keeper. A few years ago, I was new to seafood, and I can say I was really missing out. That is, until a good friend of mine introduced me to it all. My friend John used to own a seafood shop where he had seafood 101 classes and invited me to join. This was one of my favorite classes.

From what he told me, soft shell crabs are in season, typically between April and October. They are basically crabs that have just molted and are still soft. So they’re not shell-less. They are just still soft.

If you’re wondering where to get them and you don’t live in a coastal area, call your local fish shop.

Once you do get your hands on some, here’s how you prepare them.

Step 1: Using a sharp pair of cooking scissors, trim the face off. Just cut straight across the top part of the crab.

Step 2: Turn the crab over and trim the tail. Just lift it up from the underside, pull it back and cut it off.

Step 3: Turn the crab over again and lift the side of the top shell up.

Step 4: Pull the brownish part back (the lungs) and trim them off. Do both sides of the crab.

Step 5: Once the trimming is done, dip the crab in egg to coat both sides.

Step 7: Repeat steps 5 and 6.

Step 6: Dip the crab in the Panko breading and cornstarch mixture to bread both sides well.

Step 8: Fry to brown on both sides and serve hot with your favorite sauce.

Yes, you eat the shell and all! It’s all crispy goodness right there! And with that scrumptiously seasoned breading all fried up golden brown, delish!

Making these delicious treats was WAY easier than I ever dreamed it would be and it was SO FUN!!

If you’ve always wanted to try making soft shell crabs but didn’t know how to go about it, I hope this little seafood lesson helps you. It sure made me happy!

Soft Shell Crab

Connie Taylor

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying
4 fresh soft shell crabs
1 egg
2 tbsp milk or water
1 C Panko bread crumbs
3/4 C corn starch may use flour also
1 tbsp seafood seasoning
My tartar sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small onion finely minced
2 lg slices dill pickle finely minced
1 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet (4-5 tbsp).
Trim the face, tail and lungs off of the crabs.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. In another medium bowl, combine the flour, corn starch and seasoning.
Dip each crab in the egg mixture and then coat them with the Panko and cornstarch mixture. Repeat the egg dip and Panko cornstarch coating.
When the oil is good and hot, (sizzling when a pinch of flour is tested) place each crab in (not crowding the pan).
Cook until browned on on bottom and flip. Brown on the other side. The crab will be crispy on the outside and white (opaque) and tender on the inside.
Note: If necessary, add more oil to the pan to keep the crust from burning when working in batches. Adjust heat as needed.
For the tartar sauce:
Combine all ingredients and serve with hot soft shell crab