Finally! The Lunch Thread!

[RedWolf]

Mark The Homer just toss in seasoned flour and fry. No batter required

 

[Boone]

Mark - did you buy those crabs fresh or frozen? Anyone used frozen and how did it compare to is-season softshells? I might give it a whirl if frozen works well.

Also - what are the traditional accompaniements for a softshell crab sandwich? Type of bread? Condiments? Other additions?

 

[RedWolf]

Mark - did you buy those crabs fresh or frozen? Anyone used frozen and how did it compare to is-season softshells? I might give it a whirl if frozen works well.

Also - what are the traditional accompaniements for a softshell crab sandwich? Type of bread? Condiments? Other additions?

Fresh is better but frozen can work. Check out Cameron's online. White toast lettuce tomato and mayo is the classic. You can spin from there

 

[Mark The Homer]

I actually bought them at HT thawed, then froze them a second time, then thawed them a second time, then dredged them, then fried them. Probably not the best way to do it, right? But I suspect most soft shell crab sandwiches in this world are previously frozen. That's because the harvest window and the shelf life for those delicate guys is almost zero. The sandwiches I've had at the restaurant in Annapolis are excellent, IMO. I seriously doubt it's fresh, but still it was really good. At the restaurant, they just place couple of the fried crabs (they're not big crabs) on a kaiser type roll with lettuce and a tomato slice. Tartar sauce and cocktail sauce on the side. I used the tartar sauce. And added salt & pepper on the tomato and the crab. That's it. I really liked it. I've heard if you cook them at home, you want to squeeze or press the water out of them, or they don't taste good. Skinsfan1311 might have something to say here...

 

[Boone]

Here are the cooking instructions from the Cameron's site that RedWolf recommended. They are pricey, but since I know for sure my wife won't try, the 2 pack for $50 is probably in my future.

How To Prepare Soft Shell Crabs | Soft Shell Crabs Recipe

Learn how to prepare soft shell crabs at home with our easy recipe and cleaning tips. Follow this guide to cook them with a simple soft shell crab recipe.

www.cameronsseafood.com

 

[RedWolf]

Here are the cooking instructions from the Cameron's site that RedWolf recommended. They are pricey, but since I know for sure my wife won't try, the 2 pack for $50 is probably in my future.

How To Prepare Soft Shell Crabs | Soft Shell Crabs Recipe

Learn how to prepare soft shell crabs at home with our easy recipe and cleaning tips. Follow this guide to cook them with a simple soft shell crab recipe.

www.cameronsseafood.com

Camerons is pricy but all good crab is expensive. Two years ago 4 dozen jumbos + sides was 500+ dollars in Bethany (to go from a local crab shack). Cameron's has excellent quality and shipping practices

 

[Mark The Homer]

My opinion of Cameron has gone downhill the past couple decades. I used to consider them the best. Twenty years ago they used to advertise in the WP and you could get coupons. It was basically the best place to go for seafood around here and it was super fresh. But they have since changed to a shipping operation. They don't even advertise or seem to encourage coming in - in person - and buying fresh seafood. But they do encourage coming in for cooked seafood. But I noticed that over the years, the freshness has dropped. I've bought fish from them that smells not-so-good and tastes not-so-good. I hate that! I have no idea what the explanation is. I do still go there for jumbo crab cakes though. They're basically $20 each for a half pound crab cake. But I've had to stop going in there for fresh. It's too bad.

So nowadays my go-to place for fresh seafood is Wild Seafood in Jessup. It's a wholesale place that also sells to the public. I believe they sell to grocery stores and restaurants directly. Wild Seafood is cleverly positioned right off I-95 midway between DC and Baltimore. Last time I looked, they did have softshell crabs in the customer-accessible freezer - not cheap. The guy said they sometimes have them fresh, but not often because of what I already said above.

The website doesn't seem to be working atm. Not a good sign, right? https://wildseafoodjessup.com/lander

Here is an archived version and the tabs work:

Wild Seafood

web.archive.org

 

[RedWolf]

Jessup has a huge wholesale distribution fish market for deliveries to local restaurants but they are also open to the public. I've never had problems with Cameron's

 

[Mark The Homer]

So, I have a bit of a story regarding softshell crabs.

Today we did our food shopping, and I suggested we run over to Jessup Wild Seafood and get some seafood since it seems it's gonna be a rainy day. In fact, we have a tornado watch right now until 10 PM.

So at Jessup, I thought I'd make some crab stuffed flounder for supper so bought that, plus some shrimp for shrimp n grits tomorrow. On the way out I eyeballed the frozen softshell crabs. They are not very big, but I've seen smaller. So I'll say they're medium sized. $10.99 each, shrink wrapped, frozen. I don't know what the weight is, but my assessment is they weigh almost nothing.

So then we went to Giant in Clarksville.

After that we rolled by Boarman's in Highland. And while there, I saw some crabs on a tray behind the glass. I've seen these guys there several times before, and thought they were displayed kind of funny. They're sort of stacked, but feathered, on a tray, but they look alive. And they're a pretty good size. They're basically the size of standard crabs you might expect to buy. But they're not moving around or anything. Still, I assumed they were alive. Just really cold. But now, today, I take a real close look, and gosh they kind of look like soft shell. I look around. There's no sign, no sticker, no nothing. There's no indication what these crabs actually are.

So I ask the guy, I say "What's the story with these crabs?"

"Nine ninety-nine."

"Yeah, but they kind of look like soft shell."

"They are soft shell."

I think for a moment. Why didn't he say that the first time, I wonder.

I ask, "Are they previously frozen?"

He says, "No! If you freeze them, they WILL die."

I think for another moment.

"You're saying they're alive?"

"Yes! They're alive! The trick is to keep them super cold, just above freezing. And they will stay alive."

"Okay."

I think. Not only are they cheaper than Jessup, they're also bigger than Jessup. And also fresher than Jessup. In fact, they're alive. This is prety much unheard of.

I ask, "Is this like a secret? Because there's no sign or anything."

"No, it's not a secret."

"So how does somebody know they're living soft shell crabs?"

"You just have to be here at the right time on the right day, see them, and know."

Hahaha.

So, yeah, I bought three. Three good sized ones. The biggest ones they had. They only had seven.

Then they offered to clean them which means cutting off the face and removing the lungs, and the bottom shell I think. And I said okay. Cleaning was free.

Then I realized on the way home, by cleaning them I killed them! I could have not cleaned them and brought them home alive. Super fresh. And cleaned them myself.

So anyway, that's my story.

For lunch today, I'm having soft shell crabs.

Late lunch.

In summary: Boarman's. Living soft shell crabs, good sized. In stock right now, there are four left. $9.99.

Don't tell anybody.

...

Edit:

Here's what they looked like fresh from Boarman's, cleaned, no longer alive:



Dredged one in seasoned flour as suggested by Redwolf:



Fried him in oil at 375 about 4 mins

Placed him in between a soft delicately toasted burger bun with salt and pepper and tartar sauce and a nice douse of lemon juice (I was so excited I forgot about the lettuce and tomato I meant to put on there):

Sandwich Review:

This sandwich was WAY better than that first crap (not a typo) sandwich I made last week - the soft crabs I bought from HT. I'd say this sandwich was 20x better. Why? Those tiny SS crabs from HT had been previously frozen, then thawed. Then after I bought them, frozen again. Then thawed again. Then fried. Not that good.

This sandwich was also WAY better than the ones I have had repeatedly at Mikes Crabhouse on the South River in Annapolis. And I really liked those sandwiches. There was nothing wrong with those sandwiches. They were great. But this was better. Why? This sandwich was a bigger crab, hotter, crunchier, crispier, fresher, and had more flavor. It was significantly better. I'd say 3x better. Why? Probably because it was so super fresh and not previously frozen.

Really, really, really, really good. Amazing. I mean, really amazing.

Edit: Next day - 2nd sandwich, this time on a toasted Amoroso club roll with lettuce and tomato slice. With the legs, it's kinda rectangular, so it fits on the club roll real nice. The best part is the crispy legs.

Edit x2: Third day. Last soft shell crab. Best one yet. That's fresh lettuce from the garden...

 

[Skinsfan1311]

I actually bought them at HT thawed, then froze them a second time, then thawed them a second time, then dredged them, then fried them. Probably not the best way to do it, right? But I suspect most soft shell crab sandwiches in this world are previously frozen. That's because the harvest window and the shelf life for those delicate guys is almost zero. The sandwiches I've had at the restaurant in Annapolis are excellent, IMO. I seriously doubt it's fresh, but still it was really good. At the restaurant, they just place couple of the fried crabs (they're not big crabs) on a kaiser type roll with lettuce and a tomato slice. Tartar sauce and cocktail sauce on the side. I used the tartar sauce. And added salt & pepper on the tomato and the crab. That's it. I really liked it. I've heard if you cook them at home, you want to squeeze or press the water out of them, or they don't taste good. Skinsfan1311 might have something to say here...

What you're doing works.
I get 'em fresh, straight from my favorite seafood guy. NBS Seafood near BWI. He has his own slough tanks and they're butter-soft. I also have a buddy who manages a local seafood place and he calls me when they get in good soft crabs.
I prefer to clean them myself, which is super-easy with a pair of scissors. I don't clean them if I freeze them.
There's nothing wrong with frozen soft crabs, as long as you eat 'em within 6 months..after that, the flavor degrades.
I don't care who you are, or how sophisticated your palate is, it would be extremely difficult to tell the difference between a fresh, or freshly thawed soft-shell...

 

[Mark The Homer]

Yeah, I saw it on YT, cleaning looks pretty simple. Good info - thanks! BTW, I just had another fried oyster po' boy 5 mins ago. Damn, they are good.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Now this is lunch! Mrs. Skinsfan make 'em, and I fry 'em.

 

[Mark The Homer]

Haha That is hilarious! You know why? Because I'm doing crab cakes for supper tonight! And that's exactly how I fry them! I swear there is some kind of cosmic thing goin' on between us.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Haha That is hilarious! You know why? Because I'm doing crab cakes for supper tonight! And that's exactly how I fry them! I swear there is some kind of cosmic thing goin' on between us.

GMTA (Great Minds Think Alike)!
If you serve them with homemade cucumber salad and crackers, then something really crazy is going on in the cosmos...

 

[Mark The Homer]

Haha homemade cole slaw - close!

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Haha homemade cole slaw - close!

We had the coleslaw last night with the crabcakes for dinner, and corn on the cob. The one's that I made for lunch are leftover. I'm not a huge fan of coleslaw, but it works with any fried seafood, and pulled pork. It wasn't homemade. It's store-made, by my favorite family owned grocery store, Geresback's.

 

[Mark The Homer]

We had corn cob Sat night, our cole slaw is homemade with pineapple in it, that's what makes it GOOD. It's even better if it sits a day or two. The crab cakes are store made by HT. That's the trade off. They were free though.

 

[skinsmarydu]

For someone who grew up eating Maryland Blue Crabs, I cannot believe I have never had a softshell crab sandwich.

I haven't either. Goskins10 had 'em when we went to lunch at Pappadeaux, said they were perfect, but I know nothing. (like Schultz, for us old folk who watch Hogan's Heroes marathons).

 

[Mark The Homer]

I haven't either. Goskins10 had 'em when we went to lunch at Pappadeaux, said they were perfect, but I know nothing. (like Schultz, for us old folk who watch Hogan's Heroes marathons).

I see Hogan's Heroes on MeTV quite often

The nice thing about MeTV is it's not so loaded with commericials - you can watch the show in peace, and the commercials come at the beginning or the end.

What's On MeTV?

See the MeTV schedule to find when your favorite shows air.

www.metv.com

We had the coleslaw last night with the crabcakes for dinner, and corn on the cob. The one's that I made for lunch are leftover. I'm not a huge fan of coleslaw, but it works with any fried seafood, and pulled pork. It wasn't homemade. It's store-made, by my favorite family owned grocery store, Geresback's.

I just found your crab place

N.B.S. Seafood

Looks pretty damn awesome! It's hard to find living soft crabs. At least I thought it was.

Dorsey Rd! That's right along the south fence line of BWI. I know EXACTLY where that is. I will definitely check it out.

Thanks again

 

[RedWolf]

So, I have a bit of a story regarding softshell crabs.

Today we did our food shopping, and I suggested we run over to Jessup Wild Seafood and get some seafood since it seems it's gonna be a rainy day. In fact, we have a tornado watch right now until 10 PM.

So at Jessup, I thought I'd make some crab stuffed flounder for supper so bought that, plus some shrimp for shrimp n grits tomorrow. On the way out I eyeballed the frozen softshell crabs. They are not very big, but I've seen smaller. So I'll say they're medium sized. $10.99 each, shrink wrapped, frozen. I don't know what the weight is, but my assessment is they weigh almost nothing.

So then we went to Giant in Clarksville.

After that we rolled by Boarman's in Highland. And while there, I saw some crabs on a tray behind the glass. I've seen these guys there several times before, and thought they were displayed kind of funny. They're sort of stacked, but feathered, on a tray, but they look alive. And they're a pretty good size. They're basically the size of standard crabs you might expect to buy. But they're not moving around or anything. Still, I assumed they were alive. Just really cold. But now, today, I take a real close look, and gosh they kind of look like soft shell. I look around. There's no sign, no sticker, no nothing. There's no indication what these crabs actually are.

So I ask the guy, I say "What's the story with these crabs?"

"Nine ninety-nine."

"Yeah, but they kind of look like soft shell."

"They are soft shell."

I think for a moment. Why didn't he say that the first time, I wonder.

I ask, "Are they previously frozen?"

He says, "No! If you freeze them, they WILL die."

I think for another moment.

"You're saying they're alive?"

"Yes! They're alive! The trick is to keep them super cold, just above freezing. And they will stay alive."

"Okay."

I think. Not only are they cheaper than Jessup, they're also bigger than Jessup. And also fresher than Jessup. In fact, they're alive. This is prety much unheard of.

I ask, "Is this like a secret? Because there's no sign or anything."

"No, it's not a secret."

"So how does somebody know they're living soft shell crabs?"

"You just have to be here at the right time on the right day, see them, and know."

Hahaha.

So, yeah, I bought three. Three good sized ones. The biggest ones they had. They only had seven.

Then they offered to clean them which means cutting off the face and removing the lungs, and the bottom shell I think. And I said okay. Cleaning was free.

Then I realized on the way home, by cleaning them I killed them! I could have not cleaned them and brought them home alive. Super fresh. And cleaned them myself.

So anyway, that's my story.

For lunch today, I'm having soft shell crabs.

Late lunch.

In summary: Boarman's. Living soft shell crabs, good sized. In stock right now, there are four left. $9.99.

Don't tell anybody.

...

Edit:

Here's what they looked like fresh from Boarman's, cleaned, no longer alive:

View attachment 11374

Dredged one in seasoned flour as suggested by Redwolf:

View attachment 11379

Fried him in oil at 375 about 4 mins

View attachment 11377

Placed him in between a soft delicately toasted burger bun with salt and pepper and tartar sauce and a nice douse of lemon juice (I was so excited I forgot about the lettuce and tomato I meant to put on there):

View attachment 11375

Sandwich Review:

This sandwich was WAY better than that first crap (not a typo) sandwich I made last week - the soft crabs I bought from HT. I'd say this sandwich was 20x better. Why? Those tiny SS crabs from HT had been previously frozen, then thawed. Then after I bought them, frozen again. Then thawed again. Then fried. Not that good.

This sandwich was also WAY better than the ones I have had repeatedly at Mikes Crabhouse on the South River in Annapolis. And I really liked those sandwiches. There was nothing wrong with those sandwiches. They were great. But this was better. Why? This sandwich was a bigger crab, hotter, crunchier, crispier, fresher, and had more flavor. It was significantly better. I'd say 3x better. Why? Probably because it was so super fresh and not previously frozen.

Really, really, really, really good. Amazing. I mean, really amazing.

Edit: Next day - 2nd sandwich, this time on a toasted Amoroso club roll with lettuce and tomato slice. With the legs, it's kinda rectangular, so it fits on the club roll real nice. The best part is the crispy legs.

View attachment 11389

Edit x2: Third day. Last soft shell crab. Best one yet. That's fresh lettuce from the garden...

View attachment 11391

View attachment 11392

You're getting the hang of it! Frying is a learned art. Not under fried and soft nor over fried and dark. Yeah I love the crispy legs also. #3 looks best!

Hint: MD fried chicken? Seasoned flour and Crisco. It's an art. If you are really interested? Ask me about Dora the maid from South Carolina. It's a beautiful story. She made the best goddamn Fried Chicken I've ever had in my life