Robin Benzle food and travel

Pan-Fried Soft Shell Crab

If you've ever been to Baltimore or maybe down South and enjoyed a fried soft shell crab sandwich, you'll know what I'm talking about. You eat the whole crab, claws and all! They’re fantastic. A soft shell crab is a blue crab that has just shed its hard shell so all he has is a soft internal shell. They do this about 20 times in their 3 year life. After they shed, within 3 days the shell hardens, so crabbers grab them right up, flash freeze them and ship them.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup plain, dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of a good Cajun spice mix
1 or 2 eggs
4 decent-sized cleaned (the fish guy will do it) soft-shell crabs

The Recipe

In one medium bowl, stir together flour, bread crumbs and spice mix. In another bowl, beat together eggs.
In a large skillet heat some olive oil and a chunk of butter. Dip crabs first in crumb mixture, then in eggs, then back in crumb mixture. Fry one side (without touching) until nice and brown. Flip over and place a heavy skillet or something right on top of the crabs to flatten it out to make it nice and crunchy, and fry second side until golden.
Eat the whole thing! One is good for an appetizer, 2 - 3 for a meal. I like to dip it in mayonnaise mixed with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Or mayonnaise mixed with tomato paste, soy sauce and grated gingerroot to be fancy.