Method
Step 1: Cleaning the crabs
There are 3 things to do to clean the crab, the first is to remove the head / face
You do this with some sharp scissors and just snip off the front of the crab.
The second is to remove the lungs which you can see when you lift up the side of the helmet. You can remove them by sliding your finger under them, as they come off very easily. There are lungs on both sides of the body.
The third step in cleaning the crab is to remove the apron. This is located at the back and curled up against the body, kind of like a lobster tail but without any meat in it. You can just tear it off.
Now to gently squeeze out some of the water that gathers, especially in the legs as you don’t want them exploding in the hot oil. Place the crab on paper towel with some more towel on top of the crab and carefully put some pressure on it. It will look a bit deflated but it will crisp up beautifully.
Done with the cleaning! It may be a bit harrowing the first time you do it but you get used to the idea soon enough.
recipes to try…
Panko Crusted Soft Shell Crab w/ Thai Noodle Salad
Soft Shell Crab w/ a Sesame Tempura
That’s such a useful thing to know! How did you cook the crabs??
The best way to cook these crabs is to fry them so they get a super crispy shell and then you just devour the whole lot. I have a couple of recipes up at the moment, one is a Tempura Batter and the other is a Panko Crust. With the leftover Panko Crusted recipe I made into a wrap with the Thai salad and sweet chilli sauce…ooohh so good!
Let me know if you give it a go
Blondie