Ingredients:

  • 4 medium/whale size Soft Shell Crabs (cleaned)
  • 1 cup Full-Fat Buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp Hot Sauce (e.g., Texas Pete or Tabasco)
  • 1 cup All-Purpose (Plain) Flour
  • 1/2 cup Fine Yellow Cornmeal or Rice Flour
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning (or similar Creole blend)
  • 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 4–6 cups High Heat Neutral Oil (Peanut, Canola, or Rapeseed)
  • Flaky Sea Salt (To taste)
  • 2–3 Lemon Wedges (For serving)

Instructions:

  1. If the crabs are not pre-cleaned, use kitchen scissors to snip off the eyes/face and the feathery gills underneath the aprons. Snip off the small triangular apron (tail piece). In a shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce (Wet Dredge). In a second dish, thoroughly combine the flour, cornmeal, Old Bay, paprika, salt, and pepper (Dry Dredge). Submerge the cleaned crabs in the buttermilk mixture for 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Lift one crab from the buttermilk, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Transfer it directly to the dry dredge mixture. Thoroughly coat the crab, pressing the seasoned flour mixture firmly onto all surfaces. Place the coated crabs onto a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This crucial chilling period ensures the crust stays on during frying.
  3. Pour the neutral oil into a Dutch oven, ensuring 1–1.5 inches of depth. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 375°F (190°C). Carefully lower two crabs into the hot oil using tongs (do not crowd the pot). Fry for approximately 4 to 5 minutes total, flipping once halfway through, until the crabs are deep golden brown and exceptionally crisp.
  4. Remove the crabs using a metal spider or tongs and immediately transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Immediately sprinkle the hot crabs generously with flaky sea salt. Return the oil temperature back up to 375°F (190°C) before frying the remaining batch. Serve the crispy crabs immediately while piping hot, accompanied by fresh lemon wedges.