Soft Shell Crab Recipe with Salad and Spicy Sauce
Soft shell crab salad with spicy mayo is one of our favorite ways to enjoy this delicacy during its short and sweet season. It highlights and accentuates the crabs without overwhelming them.
Servings: 4
Calories: 513kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 grams) flour
- 8 cleaned soft shell crabs
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) safflower oil
- 1 batch spicy mayo made with all four ingredients
- 5 ounces (142 grams) salad greens of your choice
- 1 pint (550 grams) mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 English cucumber sliced
- 1 ripe Haas avocado sliced
Instructions
- Sprinkle the flour onto a plate and dredge each crab lightly in the flour.
- Heat butter and oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add half of the crabs shell-side down in a single layer. Cook for five minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for three minutes on the other side. Repeat with the remaining crabs.
- While the crabs are cooking, prepare the spicy mayo dressing.
- Place a bed of greens and some cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and avocado slices in each of four wide bowls. Lay two crabs over each, and drizzle with spicy sauce. Serve right away.
Notes
- I prefer to buy soft shells on the same day I'm going to serve them (or even the day before) and have them cleaned at the fish store.
- For a gluten-free version, you can use a 1:1 GF flour blend like this one in place of the all-purpose flour. Or you can simply sauté the crabs without dredging in flour first, like this. I slightly prefer them dredged, but they're beyond delicious either way.
- For a dairy-free version, simply omit the butter and double the oil.
- It only takes about 20 minutes to put this recipe together, so make it right before serving. If you have leftovers, store them tightly sealed in the fridge for a day or two max.
Nutrition
Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 40.1g | Fiber: 4.1g