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softshell crabs

lala
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lala

lala

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I understand that we're getting close to the season. Has anyone seen any at a store/fishmonger? I've never cooked one, but have eaten them with relish (so to speak...). I'd like to try my hand at frying up a few this year.

Thanks for any sightings (with price, please!) :biggrin:

“"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.”

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malarkey

malarkey

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sorry, didn't catch the price, but I saw some at City Fish at the market just yesterday.

Also saw some fresh porcini at Sosio's for $50 a lb. :shock: They did tell me to check back though, these are the first of the season and the price will go down.

Born Free, Now Expensive

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lala

lala

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Phooey! I didn't look at City Fish, as I was desperately trying to avoid the swirls of tourists. Interesting that they had them, I didn't see them at Jack's, or Pure Fish. Anyone know what the season is, so I can get back down there in time?

“"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.”

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rshorens

rshorens

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I haven't been to any fish markets lately, but a local Italian restaurant in Santa Cruz, CA, where I had lunch today, served a fresh fried soft-shell crab, along with fried vegetables, and a salad including lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella for $ 9.95. It doesn't pay to cook! In any event, the soft-shell crabs are getting around

Roz

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tighe

tighe

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Has anyone ever cooked/eaten softshell crabs any way other than fried? Not that there's anything wrong with fried..

I haven't ever cooked them, but...

The latest edition of Art Culinaire has an entire section devoted to different ways of preparing softshell crab. Some seem very interesting...

Most women don't seem to know how much flour to use so it gets so thick you have to chop it off the plate with a knife and it tastes like wallpaper paste....Just why cream sauce is bitched up so often is an all-time mytery to me, because it's so easy to make and can be used as the basis for such a variety of really delicious food.

- Victor Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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Has anyone ever cooked/eaten softshell crabs any way other than fried? Not that there's anything wrong with fried..

Smoked, grilled, sauteed lots of different ways, steamed, curried.

I have had them cooked all of these ways. We had grilled softshells the other night. It's actually quite easy to do. We grilled them over a pecan wood fire after they had been rubbed with evoo, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and placed in one of those fish basket deals for the grill. They only take a few minutes to cook and are really delicious cooked by this method.

There used to be an Indian place in New Orleans that had them on the menu all the time. They cooked them in a very spicy curry based concoction and placed them on a bed of basmati. It was a fantastic dish. I need to do it at home, but they seem to end up o the grill or in the water smoker more often than not.

It's good to have them easily available and reasonably priced, as it makes experimentation a little less scary. :wink:

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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HungryChris

HungryChris

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I just called the local fish market in CT and the first ones will be in on Thursday.

In the interest of expanding my culinary horizon, I will try them grilled with a little evoo, sea salt and perhaps a dust of Old Bay. They are pretty hard to beat pan sauted, though.

Cheers,

HC

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tighe

tighe

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I saw softshells at Mutual today, but they're pricey, ~$4/each....

Most women don't seem to know how much flour to use so it gets so thick you have to chop it off the plate with a knife and it tastes like wallpaper paste....Just why cream sauce is bitched up so often is an all-time mytery to me, because it's so easy to make and can be used as the basis for such a variety of really delicious food.

- Victor Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946

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MsRamsey

MsRamsey

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I saw softshells at Mutual today, but they're pricey, ~$4/each....

Yep, but I couldn't help myself, and that's what we're having for dinner tonight.

"Save Donald Duck and Fuck Wolfgang Puck."

-- State Senator John Burton, joking about

how the bill to ban production of foie gras in

California was summarized for signing by

Gov. Schwarzenegger.

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tighe

tighe

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I saw softshells at Mutual today, but they're pricey, ~$4/each....

Yep, but I couldn't help myself, and that's what we're having for dinner tonight.

Great, what time should I be at your house for dinner?.. :raz:

Most women don't seem to know how much flour to use so it gets so thick you have to chop it off the plate with a knife and it tastes like wallpaper paste....Just why cream sauce is bitched up so often is an all-time mytery to me, because it's so easy to make and can be used as the basis for such a variety of really delicious food.

- Victor Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946

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Susan in FL

Susan in FL

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They are in the fresh seafood markets here in Florida, now, and we just had some this past week. We breaded them with cornmeal and deep-fried them.

i7177.jpg

I have several different recipes for other ways, too... When we lived up in Delaware, we had them often and sometimes went "soft-shell crabbing", so we didn't have to wait for a season to come around. Wow, those were the days -- get some fresh soft shell crabs and hard shell crabs and pull some mussels off the banks, and do some fishing, all in one trip.

One of my favorites beside frying or sauteeing is soft shell crabs and pasta with tomato-herb sauce. Let me know if you would like me to post a recipe or two. My favorite stand-by might be a soft-shell crab sandwich on nice soft white bread with ketchup.

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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MsRamsey

MsRamsey

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I made mine last night and was not pleased. They don't have much flavor, and the texture, well, I'll just say I wasn't happy with it and leave it at that.

Edited by MsRamsey (log)

"Save Donald Duck and Fuck Wolfgang Puck."

-- State Senator John Burton, joking about

how the bill to ban production of foie gras in

California was summarized for signing by

Gov. Schwarzenegger.

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malarkey

malarkey

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I've cooked them only a few times. They are tricky to get right. I think pan fried is the way to go, as the one time I got them right they were awesome. Need to have just the right temp, and they will be crispy and yummy. mushy doesn't work :sad:

Born Free, Now Expensive

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Afishnado

Afishnado

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We grilled them over a pecan wood fire after they had been rubbed with evoo, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and placed in one of those fish basket deals for the grill.

Mayhaw Man,

Where did you find pecan wood? And what is "evoo"?

Afishnado

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Bombdog

Bombdog

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$3.95 each at Osprey Seafood in Napa yesterday. Marinated in buttermilk for several hours then a light seasoning, egg wash and panko bread crumbs....yummy!

Dave Valentin

Retired Explosive Detection K9 Handler

"So, what if we've got it all backwards?" asks my son.

"Got what backwards?" I ask.

"What if chicken tastes like rattlesnake?" My son, the Einstein of the family.

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