Soft-Shell Crab Po’ Boy

Soft Shell Crab Po Boy with Remoulade

4 soft shell crabs, cleaned (see note)

For breading:

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups fine cornmeal

oil for frying

kosher salt, to taste

For building the sandwiches:

2 soft, white sandwich rolls

Boston bib lettuce leaves

sliced beefsteak tomatoes

Old Bay remoulade (recipe below)

skewers for serving, if desired

For the Old Bay Remoulade:

1 cup of your favorite mayonnaise

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

scant ½ cup dill pickles, finely chopped

juice from half of a lemon, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped

2 dashes Worcestershire

2 teaspoons Old Bay

1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

To clean the crabs, start by using a sharp pair of kitchen shears to remove the face by cutting across the front of the crab, just behind the eyes. Next expose the gills (which are beige and pointy) by lifting one of the corners of the top shells. Cut the gills off or your finger to rip them out at the base. Repeat on the other side. Lastly, flip the crab over to remove the apron. The apron is the little flap at the back of the crab. On males it is long and thin, on females it is wider.

Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs in one bowl, set aside. Combine the flour and cornmeal in a separate bowl. Set aside. Prepare all sandwich ingredients before frying the crabs.

Fry the crabs:

Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Working with one crab at a time, submerge the crabs in the buttermilk mixture, let any excess buttermilk drip off then dredge in the flour / cornmeal mixture making sure to coat the crab well. Gently shake off any excess flour mixture. Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove the crab from the oil with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet. Lightly salt while warm. Continue with the remining crabs until everything is cooked. You can fry a few crabs at a time.

Build the sandwich:

Cut open your bread and spread a generous amount of remoulade down on each side of the bread. Arrange a layer of lettuce and tomatoes down on the bottom bun, top with 2 soft shells crabs and close. Skewer the sandwich to help keep it in place and serve immediately.