About this item

Today Gourmet Soft Shell Crabs

Domestic, wild-caught soft shell crabs from the Chesapeake Bay. There’s nothing like soft shell crabs—the sweet-and-fresh flavor profile. The interplay of textures is crunchy and tender—each crab is a delicacy. That makes every soft-shell crab special. Sample the sensation of the Chesapeake Bay with our unbeatable Soft Shell Crabs! We take extra care to preserve their sweet, tangy flavor and ensure they arrive primed and ready to cook. Let your taste buds explore a unique delicacy! Soft shells arrive dressed (fancy industry term for cleaned), vacuum sealed, and flash frozen in small batches to ensure all the flavor is preserved.

What’s so special about our soft shell crabs, anyway? It has to do with the unique weather and the type of estuary we have in the Chesapeake Bay. To sustain themselves through the winter, the crabs have to build up extra fat stores, which gives them that sweet, buttery flavor you won’t find in other types of crabs or blue crabs from other waters. Delivered right to your door, fast, so you can spend less time shopping and more time with your loved ones. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!

Preparation Instructions

Soft shell crabs are eaten whole, 'shell' and all. The shell is quite pliable, and the meat inside is lovely, juicy, and bursting with pure crab flavor.

When it comes to cooking soft shell crabs, simplicity reigns supreme. Whether broiling, grilling, or frying, the process is straightforward. A quick 4 minutes per side in the broiler or fryer, or 5 minutes per side on the grill, is all it takes.

It is popular to lightly flour the crabs and pan-fry them in butter mixed with oil. A variation on this is to cook them in butter and olive oil, then deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a teaspoon or two of tiny capers; some chopped fresh parsley, plus salt and cracked pepper to taste—a unique and nearly instantaneous sauce.

It's important to note that when deep-frying soft shells, steam can accumulate in the claws and legs, potentially causing them to burst and spatter hot oil. To prevent this, either pierce each claw and leg segment with a pin before frying or use a second fry basket to keep the crabs fully submerged in the oil.