I have never eaten a soft shell crab before, so when I saw they were featured at the market the other day, I just had to try making them. 98% of recipes you will find on the internet for soft shell crabs, have them deep fried (my favorite method of cooking) so I decided to make a soft shell crab sandwich, with a mustard aioli and coleslaw. Soft shell crabs tend to have a sweeter taste than most shellfish, so that was the reasoning behind pairing it with a mustard aioli.

I thankfully got my soft shell crabs cleaned for me – but if you can’t get that, click here for a great tutorial (*warning: this is a video of a live soft shell crab being cleaned....).

I was so into the crunch of being able to eat the shells and I loved the crabs paired with the aioli and the coleslaw!

Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches

Prep Time

10 Minutes
Cook Time

15 Minutes
Total Time

25 Minutes
Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Mayonaise
  • 1 Teaspoon Yellow Mustard
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 4 Soft Shell Crabs (cleaned)
  • 1 Cup Flour
  • 3/4 Teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/3 Cup Milk
  • Canola Oil (for frying)
  • 4 Ciabatta Rolls

Directions

  • Make the aioli in a small bowl by combining the mayo, yellow mustard, dijon, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and smoked paprika. Refrigerate til use.
  • In a large dish, combine your flour, Old Bay seasoning, pepper and salt. In a large bowl whisk together your egg and milk. Heat up a deep fryer, or a pot of canola oil to 360 degrees.
  • Coat your crabs gently in the flour mixture, shake off excess flour, then coat in the egg/milk mixture and then back into the flour mixture to coat again. Shake off excess flour and place in deep fryer. The crabs will tend to float in the fryer so use a basket or kitchen utensil to keep them submerged in the oil. Fry about 3 minutes or until golden brown - remove and let drain on a paper towel lined plate.
  • Serve on a roll with your aioli.

Coleslaw

Prep Time

5 Minutes
Total Time

5 Minutes
Yield

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 Cup Mayonaise
  • 1 Teaspoon Yellow Mustard
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Lemon (juiced)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
  • Pinch Cayenne
  • 2 sliced thin on a bias Scallions
  • 11 oz Coleslaw Mix

Directions

  • In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except the scallions and coleslaw mix.
  • Once combined, toss in the scallions and coleslaw mix - mix thoroughly. Refrigerate til use.