Whether you’re working with fresh or previously-frozen crabs, this recipe will result in a perfectly crispy and delicious fried soft-shell crab each and every time.
Fried Soft-Shell Crab
Author: Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois
Makes 2 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 soft-shell crabs (thawed if frozen)
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce
- ½ (12-ounce) package Slap Ya Mama Cajun Fish Fry
- 2 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, plus more to taste
- Peanut oil, for frying
- 1 lemon, halved
Instructions
- To clean soft-shell crabs, with a pair of kitchen shears, snip the eyes and face off and then the lungs (underneath the top shell) and the flap on the bottom-rear side of the abdomen.
- In a shallow bowl, combine mustard and pepper sauce. Add crabs and fold up the top shells, gently smearing some mustard mixture inside and outside the shell.
- In another large shallow bowl, pour fish fry and Cajun seasoning. Add crabs to fish fry mixture; fold up top shell, and gently get some mixture inside the shell area. Lay shell flat, and gently toss in fish fry mixture. Check to make sure the whole crab is evenly battered.
- Preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch, and heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375°.
- Gently add crabs, shell side down, to oil. Oil will splatter. Add any additional legs that may have fallen off during the battering process. Turn down heat to medium. Cook until top shell is nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Gently turn with tongs, and cook for about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Top with lemon juice, and season to taste with Cajun seasoning.
