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The California desert is definitely not the home of the blue crab. But that is where I was, browsing the aisles of the upscale market Bristol Farms when I spotted a sign in the fish case declaring the arrival of the season’s first shipment of soft shell blue crabs. Finding crab in the desert is not too hard if you are looking for the iced down king crab legs at a casino buffet. But blue crabs, especially the soft shell variety, now those are something far rarer, which is why I did not hesitate to scoop up a half dozen to take home for dinner that very night.
Soft shell crabs are not only hard to find in the desert, they are hard to find just about anywhere. Certain varieties of soft shell crab can be caught year round in the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico and of the coast of Thailand. But blue crabs from the cooler waters of the Atlantic only make themselves available for a few months out of the year, beginning mid-May through about the end of July. It is this crop of crab from the Chesapeake Bay that gets mouths watering from restaurant kitchens to home dining room tables.
It is during this late spring, early summer season that Maryland blue crabs, having outgrown their existing hard shell, rid themselves of it and begin to grow a new one. After molting, crabs have about a four-day window where their outsides are soft before they begin hardening a new, larger shell. Crabbers who catch crabs during the molting will allow them to remain alive until it is complete and then ship the newly soft crab off to the market. Caught crabs are usually kept alive when shipped and then, after being killed, have about another four-day window at the market where they are still good to eat.
As tedious the process is of catching, shipping, killing, and cleaning for eventual sale, soft shell crabs are surprisingly simple to prepare and eat. Unlike the painstaking process of picking meat out of the limbs of a hard shell blue crab, with the soft shell crab you get all the succulent sweet crab meat but the whole thing is edible. Where hard shell crabs are typically steamed or boiled, soft shell crabs can be prepared any number of ways from battered and fried, to pan sautéed, to grilled or broiled. And once the cooking process is mastered, the crab is bound to inspire any number of ideas for how to serve it and what to serve it with.
If you have ever ordered a spider roll at a sushi restaurant then you are already familiar with the delicious taste of a battered and fried soft shell crab. If rolling sushi or working with a deep fryer is not your forte, pan frying crabs dredged in seasoned flour can have an equally delicious result. If you have the time, soak crabs in milk or buttermilk for an hour before cooking. If time does not permit, dip crabs in milk then dredge in seasoned flour. Working two crabs at a time, sauté crabs in clarified butter in a hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side for crispy, golden brown results.
The broiler is another useful cooking method when it comes to soft shells. The cleaned interior can be stuffed with herbs and butter before hitting the oven for a flavor infusion. Or try a crispy topping like coconut or fresh breadcrumbs mixed with spices for a crunchy outside without a deep fryer.
If my family’s reactions to their first soft shell crab experience is any indicator, the first taste will inspire all sorts of ideas of how to use this delectable crustacean. I served ours that night simply dredged in rice flour and pan fried in clarified butter alongside braised artichoke hearts from my mother’s garden. It was my brother who said that they would taste good in a tortilla as a taco, my father who said they would be great on his sandwich the next day, me who said they would be fantastic on bun with plum sauce as a twist on the traditional Chinese pork bun. The fabulous thing is we are probably all right.
From the mid Atlantic all the way to the California desert soft shell crabs are a rare treat worth the indulgence during their brief season. A carefully orchestrated journey to the kitchen results in a shellfish that is surprisingly simple and quick to prepare. If your family is anything like mine, even far away from those cool Atlantic waters a little blue crab might just inspire enough ideas to inspire any number of preparations to last through the end of July and keep us dreaming until the crabs shed their shells again next year.
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A Rare Treat In A Soft Shell
The California desert is definitely not the home of the blue crab. But that is where I was, browsing the aisles of the upscale market Bristol Farms when I spotted a sign in the fish case declaring the arrival of the season’s first shipment of soft shell blue crabs. Finding crab in the desert is not too hard if you are looking for the iced down king crab legs at a casino buffet. But blue crabs, especially the soft shell variety, now those are something far rarer, which is why I did not hesitate to scoop up a half dozen to take home for dinner that very night.
Soft shell crabs are not only hard to find in the desert, they are hard to find just about anywhere. Certain varieties of soft shell crab can be caught year round in the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico and of the coast of Thailand. But blue crabs from the cooler waters of the Atlantic only make themselves available for a few months out of the year, beginning mid-May through about the end of July. It is this crop of crab from the Chesapeake Bay that gets mouths watering from restaurant kitchens to home dining room tables.
It is during this late spring, early summer season that Maryland blue crabs, having outgrown their existing hard shell, rid themselves of it and begin to grow a new one. After molting, crabs have about a four-day window where their outsides are soft before they begin hardening a new, larger shell. Crabbers who catch crabs during the molting will allow them to remain alive until it is complete and then ship the newly soft crab off to the market. Caught crabs are usually kept alive when shipped and then, after being killed, have about another four-day window at the market where they are still good to eat.
As tedious the process is of catching, shipping, killing, and cleaning for eventual sale, soft shell crabs are surprisingly simple to prepare and eat. Unlike the painstaking process of picking meat out of the limbs of a hard shell blue crab, with the soft shell crab you get all the succulent sweet crab meat but the whole thing is edible. Where hard shell crabs are typically steamed or boiled, soft shell crabs can be prepared any number of ways from battered and fried, to pan sautéed, to grilled or broiled. And once the cooking process is mastered, the crab is bound to inspire any number of ideas for how to serve it and what to serve it with.
If you have ever ordered a spider roll at a sushi restaurant then you are already familiar with the delicious taste of a battered and fried soft shell crab. If rolling sushi or working with a deep fryer is not your forte, pan frying crabs dredged in seasoned flour can have an equally delicious result. If you have the time, soak crabs in milk or buttermilk for an hour before cooking. If time does not permit, dip crabs in milk then dredge in seasoned flour. Working two crabs at a time, sauté crabs in clarified butter in a hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side for crispy, golden brown results.
The broiler is another useful cooking method when it comes to soft shells. The cleaned interior can be stuffed with herbs and butter before hitting the oven for a flavor infusion. Or try a crispy topping like coconut or fresh breadcrumbs mixed with spices for a crunchy outside without a deep fryer.
If my family’s reactions to their first soft shell crab experience is any indicator, the first taste will inspire all sorts of ideas of how to use this delectable crustacean. I served ours that night simply dredged in rice flour and pan fried in clarified butter alongside braised artichoke hearts from my mother’s garden. It was my brother who said that they would taste good in a tortilla as a taco, my father who said they would be great on his sandwich the next day, me who said they would be fantastic on bun with plum sauce as a twist on the traditional Chinese pork bun. The fabulous thing is we are probably all right.
From the mid Atlantic all the way to the California desert soft shell crabs are a rare treat worth the indulgence during their brief season. A carefully orchestrated journey to the kitchen results in a shellfish that is surprisingly simple and quick to prepare. If your family is anything like mine, even far away from those cool Atlantic waters a little blue crab might just inspire enough ideas to inspire any number of preparations to last through the end of July and keep us dreaming until the crabs shed their shells again next year.
Pan Fried Soft Shell Crabs with Zucchini and Asparagus Tips
Made with soy sauce, soft shell crabs, milk, flour, salt and pepper, zucchini, vegetable oil, asparagus, lemons, lime
Made with soy sauce, soft shell crabs, milk, flour, salt and pepper, zucchini, vegetable oil, asparagus, lemons, lime
Serves/Makes: 4
- 8 soft shell crabs, cleaned
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 medium zucchini
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bunch asparagus, tips only
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (mirin)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup clarified butter
Arrange crabs in a shallow baking dish and cover with milk. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds. Preheat a saute pan with the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Saute zucchini with a little salt and pepper until al dente. Set aside.
Bring a small pan of salted water to a boil and cook asparagus tips for about 2 minutes. Drain and toss with the zucchini, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Mix together lemon juice, lime juice, soy sauce, rice wine, rice wine vinegar and cayenne in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat a baking sheet in the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a few tablespoons of clarified butter in a saute pan over medium high heat.
Season two crabs with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Place in hot butter and cook for about two minutes per side until crispy and browned.
Transfer cooked crabs to the oven and repeat with remaining crabs.
To serve, arrange zucchini and asparagus tips in a layer on a large platter. Lay out cooked crabs on top of vegetables. Drizzle 1/4 cup vinaigrette on top of crabs and reserve the rest for dipping. Serve platter family-style.
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1 comments
Mmm, mmm good!
Comment posted by Mom
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1059-soft-shell-crab/