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One of my favorite late spring, early summer treats is the soft shell crab. These are molting blue crabs, commonly found in Eastern United States waters and especially in the Chesapeake Bay region. Soft shell crabs are cooked whole, claws, legs and all. They are harvested just as they lose the last of their exoskeleton or hard shell. When they are properly cooked, the soft shell becomes a crisp, edible container for the juicy and succulent, sweet meat within.
In waters spanning the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas coast, blue crabs go through this process starting in the spring. Traditionally the first full moon in May kicks off the start of the soft shell crab season in these areas, but temperatures have been so warm this year that soft shell crabs have come into season early.
Crabbing trips, by necessity, are done in the still water of brackish bays, and most people would say they don’t hold quite the same excitement as sport fishing. But with relatively little effort and the right equipment, you can gather quite a haul of crabs (males only per Maryland and Virginia crabbing policies). Harvesting the soft shell crab is a whole different process though, mostly undertaken by professionals. Generally, soft shells are harvested in their peeler state and than transferred to a commercial shedding operation where they are monitored around the clock until they lose their shell.
Crabs shed their shells approximately twenty times in their lives, and just a few hours later a new shell grows in its place, if they remain under water. But if they are plucked from the water before this happens (they can survive for a few days out of the water) then the entire crab is edible.
My introduction to this delicacy was back when I was in college, and had the freedom to make spontaneous beach trips in the early part of the summer, before starting my summer job. My favorite was the soft shell crab sandwich, and somewhere along the lines, we started to call it the legs sandwich. This is because even when fried, the crabs still resemble their original form, complete with five legs on each side and claws.
More adventurous eaters are not fazed by seeing a few extremities poking out of their lunch. However if you are dining with more particular companions, they might be a little put off by this sight! Regardless they are delicious.
Soft shell crabs have become a sought after dish in restaurants along the Eastern coast, fried, grilled or sautéed. Another item that has become a familiar part of my springtime repertoire is the spider roll. This is a sushi roll that contains cut up deep fried soft shell crabs, complete with the legs sticking out. You can find these almost year round at most sushi bars, but out of season, they are most likely frozen. Always check with your favorite sushi chef.
If you can find soft shell crabs fresh at the local seafood purveyor, I recommend trying to cook up these beauties at home. Just have the market clean them for you, and cook as soon as possible after bringing them home.
My favorite soft shell crab cooking method is to cook them under a weight, similar to the Italian method of cooking chicken under a brick. The meat condenses into a dense and juicy morsel, while the outer shell becomes extra crispy, making a nice contrast. They are perfect served plain with a little melted butter, or you can serve them with any number of sauces, such as tarter, cocktail, garlic butter or salsa verde.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
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They've Got Legs!
One of my favorite late spring, early summer treats is the soft shell crab. These are molting blue crabs, commonly found in Eastern United States waters and especially in the Chesapeake Bay region. Soft shell crabs are cooked whole, claws, legs and all. They are harvested just as they lose the last of their exoskeleton or hard shell. When they are properly cooked, the soft shell becomes a crisp, edible container for the juicy and succulent, sweet meat within.
In waters spanning the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas coast, blue crabs go through this process starting in the spring. Traditionally the first full moon in May kicks off the start of the soft shell crab season in these areas, but temperatures have been so warm this year that soft shell crabs have come into season early.
Crabbing trips, by necessity, are done in the still water of brackish bays, and most people would say they don’t hold quite the same excitement as sport fishing. But with relatively little effort and the right equipment, you can gather quite a haul of crabs (males only per Maryland and Virginia crabbing policies). Harvesting the soft shell crab is a whole different process though, mostly undertaken by professionals. Generally, soft shells are harvested in their peeler state and than transferred to a commercial shedding operation where they are monitored around the clock until they lose their shell.
Crabs shed their shells approximately twenty times in their lives, and just a few hours later a new shell grows in its place, if they remain under water. But if they are plucked from the water before this happens (they can survive for a few days out of the water) then the entire crab is edible.
My introduction to this delicacy was back when I was in college, and had the freedom to make spontaneous beach trips in the early part of the summer, before starting my summer job. My favorite was the soft shell crab sandwich, and somewhere along the lines, we started to call it the legs sandwich. This is because even when fried, the crabs still resemble their original form, complete with five legs on each side and claws.
More adventurous eaters are not fazed by seeing a few extremities poking out of their lunch. However if you are dining with more particular companions, they might be a little put off by this sight! Regardless they are delicious.
Soft shell crabs have become a sought after dish in restaurants along the Eastern coast, fried, grilled or sautéed. Another item that has become a familiar part of my springtime repertoire is the spider roll. This is a sushi roll that contains cut up deep fried soft shell crabs, complete with the legs sticking out. You can find these almost year round at most sushi bars, but out of season, they are most likely frozen. Always check with your favorite sushi chef.
If you can find soft shell crabs fresh at the local seafood purveyor, I recommend trying to cook up these beauties at home. Just have the market clean them for you, and cook as soon as possible after bringing them home.
My favorite soft shell crab cooking method is to cook them under a weight, similar to the Italian method of cooking chicken under a brick. The meat condenses into a dense and juicy morsel, while the outer shell becomes extra crispy, making a nice contrast. They are perfect served plain with a little melted butter, or you can serve them with any number of sauces, such as tarter, cocktail, garlic butter or salsa verde.
Brick Weighted Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs
Made with butter, flour, soft shell crabs, salt and pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, buttermilk
Made with butter, flour, soft shell crabs, salt and pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, buttermilk
Serves/Makes: 4
- 8 medium soft shell crabs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 dash Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter
Place crabs in bowl and cover with buttermilk. Soak for up to one hour, remove and pat dry.
Season flour with salt, pepper and seasoning and place on plate or in plastic bag. Lightly coat crabs with flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
Melt butter over medium high heat in a pan or skillet large enough to hold the crabs in a single layer. Add crabs and immediately place a heavy weight such as a foil wrapped brick or heavy pan over them.
Cook for 3 minutes, remove weight and flip crabs. Cover with weight again and cook for 3 more minutes until crisp.
Serve immediately.
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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/pamela-chester/1260-weighted-soft-shell-crabs/