Soft Shell Crab With Savory Butter

Late spring and summer bring about several treats that only happen once a year. This is the case with the soft shelled crab. Right now it's the perfect time to eat them in a variety of ways.The best part is the entire creature is edible, There's no fiddling with shell parts or crackers.Just cook and eat.Try them any way  but the most delicious is with garlic butter.

David Tanis wrote about them as well as giving recipes in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Eastern blue crabs shed their shells during the warmer months , which makes them perfect for cooking and eating. Early fishermen must have discovered this and since then they have been fished. Thanks to this , the crabs can be prepared a variety of ways. They can be battered and deep fried.Crabs, like any seafood. can be just fried as is and served with a wedge of lemon. Some affectionados like them served on a bun. Mr Tanis recommends his favorite method, grilled over hot coals for a smoky aroma and no spattering. His other preferred method is panfrying in olive oil and crushed chili peppers too. and then  topping a plate of spaghetti as well,For those buying them for the first time, remember that the crabs should have no discernable odor whatsoever. You should buy them live , like lobsters and also they should be thoroughly examined. Don't worry about being pinched/ At this stage,the molting stage, their pincers are not dangerous or harmful.

Soft shell crabs are sometimes good just steamed , served with a flavored or savory butter.This is where Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column , also from yesterday's Food section, comes in handy. She whips up a green garlic butter, also using a Spring harvest of slender white tipped stalks of new garlic.It is not as strong as the older garlic cloves.It also has a fresh herbal whiff too.Ms. Clark adds a pinch  of salt along with some Parmesan cheese along with the added zing of red chili pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper. Mix these and roll into a log. It can be added to grilled meat or fish to saute them, or added to veggies. I would definitely use it  as a dip for the crabs or a variation of both Mr Tanis and Ms Clark's recipes.The last is for green garlic butter on sliced baguette toast. I would slather the butter on the bread and then add the steamed seafood.This could also be a good recipe for lobster meat too.

This is soft shell crab season. Pan fry them or bread them, grill or just steam for a savory treat. Enjoy them with a squeeze of lemon or a savory butter for a yummy meal.