8 to 10 lemons, juiced. Soft-shell crab is a culinary term for crabs that have recently molted their old exoskeleton and are still soft. Don't worry about their claws while you're holding them, since they're quite limp and not strong enough to pinch. Soft shell crab suppliers offer high quality crab in their soft shell state in both fresh and frozen state. Put the crab on a clean tea towel and prepare the other crabs the same way. But if you’re not squeamish, it’s easy to do at home before preparing them for cooking, as I do in my column this week. For fresh soft-shell crabs, all you need to do is remove the gills, the bottom plate, the lower jaw, and they are ready to be cooked. ; Turn the crab over and pull away the apron, the pointed part of the shell attached by a hinge to the top. Place the leeks in the pan and cook slowly, stirring to prevent browning, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Soft-shells are removed from the water as soon as they molt to prevent any hardening of their shell. 2 leeks (white and light green parts), halved and then sliced lengthwise and well rinsed (see Cook's Notes), 1 garlic bulb, cloves removed and thinly sliced, 8 ounces pizza dough, separated into 2 balls and at room temperature (see Cook's Notes), 2 soft-shell crabs (or 4 if very small), cleaned (see Cook's Notes), 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, preferably Old Bay, 3/4 cup thinly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley. Like most shellfish, dead crabs decompose rapidly as marine bacteria break down the flesh, eventually producing an unpleasant ammonia odor. Fold back the pointed sides of the top shell to expose the gills; remove the gills on both sides. Turn the crab over and fold back the tail flap. It's also tasty with plenty of one of the spreads mentioned above or, another option that adds a real burst of summer flavor is a slather of fresh pesto. More or less. You can simply clip these gills off with the shears. Soft shell crab recipe Ingredients: Soft Shell Crab, Egg, Corn Flour, Bread Crumbs Cooking Method: Clean the soft shell with pipe water, clean the gills, cut the mouth and take out the abdomen. Lift up the tapered points on each side of the crab’s shell to reveal the gills and cut them out. It’s a simple a process of removing the gills and the apron, and snipping off the eyes and mouth, similar to cleaning a fish. Garnish and serve them while they're still hot! Repeat the process for the other side. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Typically the mouthparts, gills and abdomen have been removed prior to purchase. To clean a soft shell crab, cut away the eyes and mouth with a sharp knife or scissors. 2.5 Frozen soft shell mud crab means a fresh soft shell mud crab that is frozen by freezing process. Starting Out. Place disc on a well-floured work surface and stretch the dough by hand into an 8- to 9-inch round that is 1/4-inch-thick, not pressing out the air bubbles. It's been an interesting summer. Pull away and discard the gills from both sides of the crab. Soft-shell crabs need to take a lesson from Bruce Banner, because saying "Don't make me angry—I wouldn't be able to do a damned thing to you even if I were angry" isn't very intimidating. Step four: Turn the crab over and pull off the bottom part of the shell, called the apron. ... Next, lift each half of the top shell and remove the feathery gills, or 'lungs.' These are feathery-looking spongy structures also called “dead man’s fingers” underneath the shell and over the meat. 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