Ingredients:

  • 8 medium (or 6 large) Soft-Shell Blue Crabs, cleaned
  • 250 mL / 1 cup Buttermilk (or whole milk mixed with 1 Tbsp white vinegar)
  • 1 tsp (5g) Kosher Salt
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 60 mL / ¼ cup Water
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) Hot Sauce (e.g., Tabasco or Frank's)
  • 250 g / 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
  • 60 g / ½ cup Cornstarch (Cornflour)
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) Old Bay Seasoning (or similar Creole/seafood seasoning)
  • 1 tsp (5g) Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp (2g) Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 5 L / 6 cups High Smoke Point Oil (e.g., Canola, Peanut, or Vegetable Oil)
  • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 1 large Lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare and clean the crabs (if not pre-cleaned): Rinse thoroughly, lift the carapace and snip off the feathery brownish gills on both sides, snip off the eyes and mouth parts, and snip off the small, pointed apron on the belly.
  2. Brine and set up the dredging station: Place the cleaned crabs in a bowl and cover with buttermilk and 1 tsp of salt; soak for 5-10 minutes. In one shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, water, and hot sauce (wet mix). In a second, larger dish, combine the flour, cornstarch, Old Bay, fine sea salt, and black pepper (dry mix).
  3. Dredge the crabs: Remove one crab from the buttermilk, shaking off the excess. Dip completely into the wet mix, then immediately place it into the dry flour mixture. Pat gently to ensure the flour mixture adheres everywhere. Place the dredged crabs on a clean tray. (For extra crunch, repeat the wet/dry dip.)
  4. Heat the oil: Pour the high smoke point oil into a Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches (5 cm). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 175–185°C (350–365°F), using a deep-fry thermometer to monitor the temperature.
  5. Fry the crabs: Gently lower 2-3 crabs into the hot oil, ensuring the pot is not overcrowded. Fry for 3–5 minutes per side, or until the crabs are deep golden-brown and the coating is crisp.
  6. Drain and finish: Carefully remove the fried crabs with tongs and immediately place them on a wire rack (not paper towels) to drain excess oil. While still hot, lightly brush the crabs with melted butter and sprinkle with an extra pinch of sea salt. Allow the oil temperature to recover between batches before frying the remaining crabs.
  7. Serve immediately while the Crispy Fried Blue Crabs are at their crispiest, alongside lemon wedges.