Feeling Crabby
August 19th 2008 02:22
Summer vacation is officially over tomorrow morning, even though it's still the middle of August. It wasn't a vacation vacation in the sense that I still had to work, I just didn't have to report anywhere at any particular time dressed in any particular way (or dressed at all) in order to do so. But much as I like my freelance semi-career, the fact is, I am way too chicken to live on spec in the middle of a recession, so when my part-time job at my son's school upped me to full-time, I said sure, I'll do it. Plus keeping up with whatever freelance work comes my way, plus an additional part-time afterschool gig nannying for one of my son's former classmates who will now be attending private school courtesy of the Canadian embassy. Heck, if I was Canadian, and worked for the embassy, I'd take them up on the offer. Our local public school system stinks on ice, and all of its employees (and most of its parents) are just as disgruntled as I am. But they are promising me a paycheck, gobs of which I've already spent, so hi hi, hi ho, etc.
As usual, summer was way too short to do all of the things we'd planned, although we did get in a good number of baseball games - major league, minor league, independent minor league, and collegiate league. We also had a half-week at the beach, ate out a lot, and I finally, finally got to have that elusive culinary experience I spent June and July chasing after with no luck - in a diner on the eastern shore, staffed by some big friendly guy who's a fellow Ravens fan, I had a soft-shell crab sandwich. The crab season was a dismal one this year, evidently - and the evidence became all too clear when I went crabbing a few times with my son and all we saw were floating dead ones. Plus a few tiny living ones, some of which we caught (and released), others of which weren't in the mood for chicken neck. Crabs are, after all, oportunistic cannibals, and they were probably full from feasting on the aforementioned floaters.
And doesn't that appetizing little image just put you in the mood for crab? Crabcakes are okay (or not so okay, if made with too much bread), hardshells steamed with plenty of Old Bay are grand (especially with Natty Bo and my beloved O's), but the cream of the crab crop, as far as I am concerned, is the softshell.
Soft Shell Crabwich a la Eastern Shore (aka Downy Ocean)
4 soft-shell crabs
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 c. crushed cracker crumbs or flour
Salt, black pepper, Old Bay and/or cayenne to taste
4 c. oil for frying
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C). Mix egg with milk, and season your cracker crumbs or flour to taste. Dip the crabs first into the dry mixture, then into the egg/milk mix, then once again into the dry mix. Place crabs into the heated oil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are golden brown on one side. Turn them over and cook until they are golden on the other side. Let them drain on paper towels, and eat them while they're warm. You can serve them sandwich-style on white bread or a hamburger bun with mayo or tartar sauce, or you may serve them plain with a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy them while you can, as they have a fairly short season and they're tricky little guys to locate, even here in crab country.
As usual, summer was way too short to do all of the things we'd planned, although we did get in a good number of baseball games - major league, minor league, independent minor league, and collegiate league. We also had a half-week at the beach, ate out a lot, and I finally, finally got to have that elusive culinary experience I spent June and July chasing after with no luck - in a diner on the eastern shore, staffed by some big friendly guy who's a fellow Ravens fan, I had a soft-shell crab sandwich. The crab season was a dismal one this year, evidently - and the evidence became all too clear when I went crabbing a few times with my son and all we saw were floating dead ones. Plus a few tiny living ones, some of which we caught (and released), others of which weren't in the mood for chicken neck. Crabs are, after all, oportunistic cannibals, and they were probably full from feasting on the aforementioned floaters.
And doesn't that appetizing little image just put you in the mood for crab? Crabcakes are okay (or not so okay, if made with too much bread), hardshells steamed with plenty of Old Bay are grand (especially with Natty Bo and my beloved O's), but the cream of the crab crop, as far as I am concerned, is the softshell.
Soft Shell Crabwich a la Eastern Shore (aka Downy Ocean)
4 soft-shell crabs
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 c. crushed cracker crumbs or flour
Salt, black pepper, Old Bay and/or cayenne to taste
4 c. oil for frying
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C). Mix egg with milk, and season your cracker crumbs or flour to taste. Dip the crabs first into the dry mixture, then into the egg/milk mix, then once again into the dry mix. Place crabs into the heated oil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are golden brown on one side. Turn them over and cook until they are golden on the other side. Let them drain on paper towels, and eat them while they're warm. You can serve them sandwich-style on white bread or a hamburger bun with mayo or tartar sauce, or you may serve them plain with a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy them while you can, as they have a fairly short season and they're tricky little guys to locate, even here in crab country.
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Comment by Cibbuano
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... are they actually a species of crab? Why would they evolve to have that useless soft, delicious shell?
Comment by MariaMaria
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