Soft-shell crabs break the mold

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Soft-shell crabs are back and better than ever.

“When the soft-shell crabs are in season, you know it’s time to relish the coming of summer,” said Noreen Eberly, director of seafood marketing and aquaculture development at the Maryland Department of Agriculture. “They are a delicacy, and they are wonderful.”

Unfortunately, the signature Maryland dish is only available for a short period of time. Depending on water temperature, the shedding cycle of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab runs anywhere from late May to September. During that time, the crab increases in size and sheds its hard outer shell, and for only a few hours, its soft shell is exposed and completely edible.

“A lot of the fishermen who are doing the catching will be up 24 hours a day in order to watch the crabs,” Eberly said. “They have to be fished up within a few hours.”

Tom Popp, a joint venture partner with the Bonefish Grill in Owings Mills, said soft-shell crabs are very popular. “They are very much in demand, probably because they are not readily available year-round. We sauté them and serve them with a lemon caper herb sauce. It’s a great item for Bonefish to carry.”

Sautéing is the most popular way that soft-shell crabs are prepared, Eberly said, and some people prefer a “heavy breading” or a “light dusting of flour and seasoning.” However, the crabs can be baked or fried, and some restaurants will stuff them with crab imperial or another type of seafood.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Harbor East is offering soft-shell crabs from North Carolina and will serve Maryland soft-shell crabs in mid-July.

“One of the most fascinating parts of this is that soft-shell crabs from different areas taste different,” said Oceanaire executive chef and operating partner Benjamin Erjavec. “Some waters are a little saltier than others; some crabs are a little sweeter. Of course, few crabs can beat the ones that come from the Chesapeake Bay.”

Grilled stuffed soft-shell crabs

Soft-shell crabs, cleaned

1 pound Maryland crabmeat

2 egg whites

2 tbsp. hot mustard

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

Juice of one lemon

Black pepper

Olive oil

Old Bay seasoning

1. Rinse and pat crabs dry with a paper towel.

2. Carefully pick through crabmeat and remove any shell.

3. Place meat in a bowl and add egg whites, mustard, mayonnaise and lemon juice.

4. Season with black pepper and Old Bay.

5. Gently fold mixture together.

6. Stuff crabs with meat mixture between the top shell and the body of the crab. The amount of crabmeat mixture used will vary according to the size of the soft-shell crab.

7. Brush the outside of the stuffed crabs with olive oil and season with black pepper and Old Bay.

8. Place in a grilling basket and grill over direct heat (hot) for 3 to 5 minutes per side.

 Recipe courtesy of MarylandSeafood.org

ecampbell@baltimoreexaminer.com

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