Soft Sell

The soft-shell crab is one of the homelier foods. Served in the traditional po’ boy, between two buns, its claws dangle disconcertingly beyond the edges of the bread. Aesthetically, the soft-shell crab is not for everyone, which is a shame because it is a true delicacy.

What we know as the soft-shell is actually the common blue crab, which is harvested after it molts its protective exoskeleton. This occurs during a precious two-day window before the new one hardens, allowing us to consume the whole animal without cracking a shell. The molting season runs from mid-May to early fall. Blue crabs are most commonly found in the Chesapeake Bay area, though they’re also abundant in the Gulf of Mexico. Chefs such as Sang Yoon, owner of Father’s Office in Santa Monica, find the former to be superior.

As executive chef of Michael’s in the 1990s, Yoon created a soft-shell crab cult following, which has carried over to Father’s Office. Soft-shell crabs are easy to come by at local fishmongers such as Santa Monica Seafood and Fish King in Glendale, and they aren’t uncommon in supermarkets. Yoon warns, however, against buying frozen ones because freezing causes them to lose their delicate texture and flavor.

If memory serves, I had my first soft-shell crab at a restaurant called the Tune Inn in Washington, D.C. This was back when Ronald Reagan was president and I was a congressional intern. The high point of the week was Friday lunch, when half of Capitol Hill repaired to the Tune Inn for crab cakes and beer--and soft-shell po’ boys when in season--before tottering back to the office to make a rather feeble pretense of doing important constituent work. I have a fairly strong impression that this sort of behavior isn’t tolerated anymore. But what would still be true is that cold beer is an impeccable complement to crab.

The soft-shell crab achieves its full glory when dredged in flour and fried, usually in butter. From there, it’s a matter of how fancy you want to get. As Yoon points out, it is a gastronomic experience more connected to texture than flavor--and for his money, the smaller the better. “In Italy, I had them the size of beetles, almost like bugs,” he says. “You had to look at them closely to see that they were even crabs. But the smallest have the best texture.”

It is important that they be cleaned by removing the face and lungs--ask the purveyor to do this for you. Then use them as soon as possible and make sure they’re dry before frying them.

While Yoon hasn’t made up his mind what this year’s version at Father’s Office will be, he generally favors pairings that involve corn and a bit of spice, frequently with an Asian flair. I will certainly be first in line to find out. In the meantime, I’ll make do with my own improvised brunch dish, which has gone over pretty well in the past, the occasional “Eek! Make it go away!” notwithstanding.

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Open-Face Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich With Chipotle Mayonnaise

Serves 4

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 limes

4 large soft-shell crabs, cleaned and dried

Salt

Pepper

4 tablespoons clarified butter

Flour

4 1/2-inch-thick slices rustic white bread, lightly toasted

1 heirloom tomato, thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 eggs, poached or over easy

Cilantro leaves

Puree the chipotle pepper and mayonnaise together in a blender or mini food processor and stir in the juice of one lime. Set aside.

Sprinkle crabs with salt and pepper. Heat the clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge crabs in the flour and shake off excess. Place the coated crabs in skillet and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Spread chipotle mayonnaise over toast slices. Top with tomato, onion, egg and crab. Drizzle chipotle mayonnaise over crabs. Garnish with cilantro and remaining lime cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

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Martin Booe is a frequent contributor to the magazine.