Summer Bounty Soft Shell BLT+ Sandwiches

The Summer season is abundant with tasty, fresh, and just overall, exceptional ingredients. Ingredients, we find, that make for some delicious sandwiches. One of our favorite sandwiches to whipped up during the Summer season? Soft Shell Crab BLTs! We just love topping crispy soft shell crabs with, of course, bacon, lettuce, and tomato but also oodles of other seasonal ingredients. Here, we list out some of our favorite toppers as well as our go-to method for preparing soft shell crabs. 

What is a soft shell crab anyway?

As a crab develops, it needs to shed it’s external exoskeleton shell to grow larger. The crab will wiggle free from it’s smaller shell and emerge a little larger and much softer. It will take a few days for the new shell to harden, going through a few stages; soft shell—> paper shell —-> hard shell. Eating a paper shell crab is like eating a tough and chewy potato chip-not very enjoyable.

The ideal soft shell crab is one caught as soon as it sheds. The talented Maryland crabbers know this well and work very hard to time their softies perfectly. Cameron’s Seafood works with families that have been crabbing for generations-these crabbers are the softy experts, and we are proud to offer their catch. 

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How to Prepare Soft Shell Crabs 

The best preparation for soft shell crabs is achieved by a simply soaking the crabs in seasoned buttermilk, dredging in flour and pan frying. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 6 Cameron’s Seafood Maryland Soft Shell Crabs thawed
• 1 stick or 1/2 cup clarified butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Place buttermilk, salt, and Old Bay in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Place soft shell crabs in a large casserole dish and pour over the buttermilk mixture, making sure to coat and cover the crabs completely. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Place half of the clarified butter (1/4 cup) in a large skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Working with 2-3 crabs at a time, dredge crabs in the flour, and carefully place in the hot butter.
3. Fry crabs for 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy, golden brown, and thoroughly cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside to drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
4. Pour off any excess clarified butter and wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining butter (1/4 cup) and repeat the dredging and frying steps.

Our Favorite Summer BLT Additions 

These are just a handful of our favorite Summer ingredients, toppings that we absolutely love joining our existing BLT ingredients. 

• Sprouts                    
• Avocado                                 
• Fresh Dill 
• Sliced Radishes       
• Sliced Onions (grilled or raw) 
• Fresh Scallions 
• Sliced Cucumbers   
• Bell Peppers (grilled or raw)   
• Fresh Basil 

Buy Maryland Soft Shell Crabs Online

Cameron’s Seafood provides some of the best softies around and they’re available at our online store. As we say, ‘from shore to door, 3 days fresher than the grocery store’-all of our seafood is delivered right to your door when you schedule it, guaranteed!

We’d love to see how you cook soft shell crabs. Post your softy ideas, recipes and delicious food images to any of our social accounts-Instagram, Facebook or Twitter be sure to tag us @cameronsseafoodonline.

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