Soft Shell Crabs

[tommy]

had an outstanding soft shell crab at Oceanos in Fair Lawn last night.  These are some of the freshest tasting and meatiest soft shell crabs i've ever had.  Here's a pretty bad pic in low light.

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Now I have an "oo lee" (don't know how to spell it. but that's how it's pronouced in italian ) for SS crabs. It means a " yen for"

So which shall it be..Wondees or Oceanos...?

Oh, decisions, decisions..

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i may be wrong, but i always got the impression that Wondee's has soft shell crabs well beyond the actual season, which suggests to me that they are, at times, frozen. Oceanos, on the other hand, is dealing with top-notch seafood, as i ramble on about here.

Owner Nicos (Nick) and his father (and executive chef) Peter Panteleakis know seafood.  I'm pretty sure Peter is picking the day's selections out himself by hand.  That kind of attention to detail and that kind of passion for seafood translate onto your plate:  you're getting pristine seafood.  When I joked with Peter about the extra time and effort that goes into overseeing every piece of fish, he responded immediately with his gentle smile "I have to."  Peter, who has been in the restaurant business in the Fair Lawn area for a few decades, knows no other way.  And we are all the beneficiaries of that dedication and experience.

they're in different leagues. although, that basil and chili is quite tasty over at wondee's.

Edited June 4, 2006 by tommy (log)

[Cook456]

had an outstanding soft shell crab at Oceanos in Fair Lawn last night.  These are some of the freshest tasting and meatiest soft shell crabs i've ever had.  Here's a pretty bad pic in low light.

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Now I have an "oo lee" (don't know how to spell it. but that's how it's pronouced in italian ) for SS crabs. It means a " yen for"

So which shall it be..Wondees or Oceanos...?

Oh, decisions, decisions..

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[tommy]

You're makin it tough, here...

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[hitmanoo]

You're makin it tough, here...

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well, you have about 2 more weeks to eat as many soft shell crabs as you can, and you have at least 2 meals today to help meet that goal. get to it.

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The soft shell crab season is that short? I thought it lasted longer into the summer.

[tommy]

yeah, hyperbole. they should be available through the summer. i'm not sure if they're harder to get as the summer goes on though. in fact, i really have no idea at all. all i know is it's time to eat them. a bunch of them. crab is such a friggin pain the ass to eat otherwise.

[hitmanoo]

crab is such a friggin pain the ass to eat otherwise.

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AGREED!

[menton1]

crab is such a friggin pain the ass to eat otherwise.

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Yes, but hard shell crab is a totally different taste and texture than the soft shell. Some people (my wife, e.g.) actually enjoys all the work that goes into eating hardshells and lobsters. And, really, those Maryland Hard shells are awesome, but I've never seen anything resembling a good one in NJ. Had hardshells in MD a couple years back, unvbelievably sweet and fabulous!!

[Randi]

crab is such a friggin pain the ass to eat otherwise.

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Yes, but hard shell crab is a totally different taste and texture than the soft shell. Some people (my wife, e.g.) actually enjoys all the work that goes into eating hardshells and lobsters. And, really, those Maryland Hard shells are awesome, but I've never seen anything resembling a good one in NJ. Had hardshells in MD a couple years back, unvbelievably sweet and fabulous!!

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Me too - give me a paper covered table, a pile of crabs and a mallet, and I am in heaven.

I used to get the all you can eat Maryland style crabs (or garlic crabs) at the Hard Shell Cafe in Marlton. But they've closed. One of the principals there opened a crab takeout place nearby - Loupy's Crabs.

Expensive, but worth it when the craving becomes too strong.

[zoe b]

I am in Philly and I was looking for soft shells the other week and called Whole Foods, who said they are no longer carrying soft shells, as they have had customers voice their "concerns" over the treatment of the live softshells. The Washington Post ran a little squib about this last week. Whole foods does not carry live lobsters either.

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this is weird because the head of Whole Foods was on 60 Minutes last night--I can't believe I'm admitting I actually watched this program--and there was a shot of live lobsters--and the interviewer asked him about cruelty issues and he said something like "we all have to die, don't we".

maybe certain WF don't carry live shellfish because of their particular customer base.

(I watched because Carl Hiasson was on and he cracks me up)

[Randi]

Hmmm what I heard was more like "Lobster have to die - but so do we, no? So we shouldn't disregard their quality of life any more than we would disregard our own"

or something like that.

[njduchess]

I checked out my Whole Foods the other day (Montclair until - can't wait - the West Orange one opens).

There were no soft shell crabs, but they did have live lobsters. They were in what I can only describe as "lobster condos". They were round rubber (or plastic) tubes and each lobster had his or her own tube. The heads and claws were coming out the front, but the tail were inside. I guess they feel that it is too cruel to let them pile up on the floor of the tank so they give them all their own space.

Marie

[zoe b]

Hmmm what I heard was more like "Lobster have to die - but so do we, no? So we shouldn't disregard their quality of life any more than we would disregard our own"

or something like that.

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you are prob right--I was heading through the room when I heard this--but i took it to mean that dying (and being eaten) is part of the natural cycle, not cruel in itself.

Zoe

[Randi]

Hmmm what I heard was more like "Lobster have to die - but so do we, no? So we shouldn't disregard their quality of life any more than we would disregard our own"

or something like that.

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you are prob right--I was heading through the room when I heard this--but i took it to mean that dying (and being eaten) is part of the natural cycle, not cruel in itself.

Zoe

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His point was that the way they are treated before they die matters. He wasn't talking about killing or eating them - just their treatment beforehand.

[doc slaughter]

I had a 1/2 doz soft shell's tonight for diner with my daughter (any thing with crab meat is her favorite) we used a mixture of flour & corn meal with old bay and pepper and pan fried with canola oil and butter. I am lucky enough to live 10 miles from a place that harvest them for local restaurants and we pay $3 each for whales. Tomorrow for diner I've got 2 doz. for a special treat for a co-worker thats retireing. I also have a doz. very large crab cakes and for the non seafood eater it's london broil (what's wrong with some people?). My sister makes the crab cakes from a very seceret recipe from a bygone restaurant that use to be the best at the Jersey Shore (so the legend goes)

[Cook456]

yeah, hyperbole.  they should be available through the summer.  i'm not sure if they're harder to get as the summer goes on though.  in fact, i really have no idea at all.  all i know is it's time to eat them.  a bunch of them.  crab is such a friggin pain the ass to eat otherwise.

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Found LIVE soft shelled crabs at that farmers market / seafood store behind The Crows Nest in Hasbrouck Heights. $ 5 each..

Bought a half dozen Oysters. Had them open them, cause I don't want to hassle with that. Then I stopped at Shoppers Vineyard for a nice Sauvignon Blanc.

Maybe I'll try Doc Slaughter's recipe..

Am I set for a nice dinner or what?

Edited June 17, 2006 by Cook456 (log)

[Jason Perlow]

wondee's in hackensack usually has them (basil and chili...yum-oh).

and then they continue to have them well after june.  methinks they use frozen soft shells.  but then is that really a horrible thing?  i'm not even sure i can tell the difference most of the time.

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We had a plate of these a few days ago, in Chu Chee sauce. Excellent.

[njduchess]

Just got home from a nice meal at Saigon House in East Hanover. They were serving soft shell crabs four different ways. We had them fried with a very light ginger and shallot sauce. It was our first visit there, and we totally enjoyed the food. The Rock and Roll Beef was definitely a winner, too. Only shortfall was the dessert - why oh why did I pick the sticky rice with taro? It was more pudding than rice with big chunks of taro floating in it - very much like a potato. I guess I was expecting the kind one gets in a Thai restaurant.

By the way, one of the soft shell crab dishes said that the crab was "toasted." I can't imagine what cooking method that would be. Any guesses?

Marie

[menton1]

Is there just NOWHERE in NJ to get simple, plain soft shells, broiled or fried, in a simple butter sauce? If they are good, they don't need all these heavy saucy accompaniments, IMHO. I want to taste the crab.

[richl2214]

Fresh Soft shells crabs are being sold at the market behind Wendy'sand Drug Fair on Franklin Ave. in Belleville, NJ, across the street from the Chandelier.

[=Mark]

By the way, one of the soft shell crab dishes said that the crab was "toasted."  I can't imagine what cooking method that would be.  Any guesses?

Marie

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Toasting?

[njduchess]

Menton: The soft shell crab preparation that you're referring to: The best place I've had it is at Axelson's Blue Claw in Cape May. I'm sure they still do it. Any plans for a trip down South soon?

Mark: I mis-spoke. Just what type of toasting devise would one use to toast a soft shell crab?

[menton1]

Menton:  The soft shell crab preparation that you're referring to:  The best place I've had it is at Axelson's Blue Claw in Cape May.  I'm sure they still do it.  Any plans for a trip down South soon?

Thanks, but Cape May might as well be in Australia, it's over 3 hours, never get there. I was hoping for a place in Bergen County or environs...

[tommy]

Menton:  The soft shell crab preparation that you're referring to:  The best place I've had it is at Axelson's Blue Claw in Cape May.  I'm sure they still do it.  Any plans for a trip down South soon?

Thanks, but Cape May might as well be in Australia, it's over 3 hours, never get there. I was hoping for a place in Bergen County or environs...

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you can try Oceanos in Fair Lawn. you might consider asking them to go light on whatever sauce you get, or, you can get them fried...although they are breaded: http://tommyeats.typepad.com/photos/restau...ll_closeup1.jpg

in fact i would think they'd do whatever you ask them to do. they're good like that.

Edited June 23, 2006 by tommy (log)

[PicnicChef]

I did them three weeks in a row. Simple saute, touch of lemon. I can't get my customers turned on to them. Season's gone now. I'll try again next spring...

Personally, I don't love 'em.

[hitmanoo]

I did them three weeks in a row. Simple saute, touch of lemon. I can't get my customers turned on to them. Season's gone now. I'll try again next spring...

Personally, I don't love 'em.

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Soft shell crab season is done already?!?