Spring’s sunny days create the warm waters that draw the blue crab out of the muck to shed its shell. The molting crabs are caught and sold as soft-shells.
The tastiest ones are taken off the Maryland coast from May to October. Though blue crabs molt for a longer time in warmer waters as far south as Florida and parts of the Gulf of Mexico, they are not considered as tasty as the ones from Maryland.
What exactly are soft-shells? Blue crabs molt so they can grow. Their exterior at first is brownish-green and pliable, almost like a wonton wrapper, but the new shell develops quickly. For the tastiest eating, soft-shells must be gathered within six hours of molting. The entire crab can be eaten and has a crunchy texture and mild flavor.
Select only ones that are sweet and salty smelling. They should never smell fishy. Ideally, soft-shells should be bought while still alive and cleaned right before cooking, as they start losing their juiciness once cleaned. But if you can’t stand the thought of clipping off the crab’s face and removing its apron and gills, the fishmonger will do this for you.
SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GARLIC, TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes per batch
Yield: 4 servings
2 quarts milk
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
Salt
12 soft-shell crabs, cleaned, see note
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups finely diced tomato without seeds and pulp
3 to 4 tablespoons finely diced kalamata olives
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1. Combine milk, lemon zest and salt to taste in medium bowl. Add crabs; set aside. Combine flour, paprika and black pepper in large shallow baking pan or dish. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until garlic is tender but not browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced and just covering garlic, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; heat to boil, cooking about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Remove skillet from heat. Add pinch of the thyme. Keep warm.
3. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working quickly, remove a few crabs from milk mixture; drain excess liquid. Dredge crabs through seasoned flour, one at a time; shake off excess flour. Lower crabs into hot oil; cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Cover with lid if necessary to prevent hot oil from splashing out. Turn crabs; cook until done, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining crabs.
4. Divide crabs among 4 serving plates. Drizzle sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining thyme.
Note: It’s best to have the fish market clean the crabs when you buy them. To clean them yourself, fold back the flaps and remove the gills, the cottony fibers on the sides. Using scissors, cut off the side aprons and head. Pull the pointed flap on the underside down and twist it off. If you don’t like the taste of the tomalley, or liver, gently squeeze the crab to remove it.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 450 Fat ………… 16 g Saturated fat .. 2.3 g
% calories from fat .. 33 Cholesterol .. 255 mg Sodium …….. 790 mg
Carbohydrates …… 19 g Protein …….. 55 g Fiber ………. 1.6 g
