Soft Shell Crab Sandwich Recipe
This Maryland soft shell crab sandwiches recipe is delicious and simple to make. A whole, cooked soft shell crab makes for an impressive meal and it only takes a few minutes to cook.
Cameron’s Seafood Maryland soft shell crabs are perfect for fried crab sandwiches. They arrive at your door already cleaned, so as soon as they’re thawed, you can start to cook. When you deep fry or shallow pan fry the crabs, the legs get deliciously crispy while the bodies of the crabs stay soft and moist. Combine that with a soft bun, creamy sauce, and fresh vegetables and you have the makings for a colorful and delectable dish.
Today we’re sharing a recipe for soft shell crab sandwiches with pancetta and remoulade from Food & Wine. Pancetta is not always easy to find, so bacon will do if you need to use a substitute. It will still give a crispy and salty flavor like that of pancetta. We hope you enjoy making AND eating this crab burger recipe!
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large dill pickle finely diced
- 1 tbsp red onion minced
- 2 tsp tarragon leaves chopped
- 1 tsp capers finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- tsp ½salt divided in half
- tsp ½black pepper divided in half
- 4 slices of pancetta or bacon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- cup approximately ¼all-purpose flour
- 4 large brioche or hamburger buns split and toasted
- 1 small bunch of arugula
- 1 large tomato thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, dill pickle, red onion, tarragon, capers, Dijon mustard, and half the salt and pepper. This is your remoulade. Set aside until needed.
- Place the pancetta slices in a single layer in a large skillet or frying pan. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until the pancetta is crispy. This should take about 6 minutes. If you would like your pancetta to stay flat, weigh it down with a heavy pot lid that is smaller than the skillet or pan in use. Transfer the pancetta to a paper towel lined plate and wipe out the skillet.
- In the same pan, melt the butter and cooking oil. The butter will impart a nice, nutty flavor and the oil will keep it from burning. Season the soft shell crabs with salt and pepper and then dust them with flour. You want to be generous with the flour. Cook the crabs in the skillet over high heat, turning once, until they are crisp and golden. They should take about 5-7 minutes to cook all the way through, depending on the size.
- Spread your remoulade on the cut sides of the bun. Arrange the pancetta and the soft shell crabs on the bottom of the bun and the arugula and tomato on the top half. Close the sandwiches and cut them in half if desired.
- These soft shell fried crab sandwiches would be great served with a small salad, a soup, or even some French fries.
Buy Maryland Soft Shell Crab Online
Don’t forget you can purchase our beautiful Maryland soft shell crab from our online store to be delivered right to your door. We have a great selection of many other seafood products too!
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By: Melanie Craighead
I have always wanted to try a fried soft-shell crab sandwich. We have great lobster here in New England but the crabs are just “ok.” I have seen them on special occasionally, which means they are being shipped from your area, but who knows how long those crabs have been in the restaurant’s reefer?
If I ever muster up the courage to try these at home, this is a great recipe to try!