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Crab; soft-shell
These are crabs that have shed their shells, not a different species.
Most consumed in this country come from the U.S.A and are "blue crabs". The laws in America are very tight, to control stocks; so that crabs mustn"t be caught when they are soft, as this is their breeding period; so must be caught ahead of time, then held in a holding tank until they shred their skins.
Most come from farmed stocks, but when a crabber sees a blue crab, in the wild,about to moult, he puts the "peeler" in a special float until it sheds its shell. He/she then leaves it in the water an extra hour until the new shell hardens enough so the crab can be shipped, keeping a fairly close watch for the full six to eight hours the whole business requires.
If buying soft-shelled crabs (and they can be found frozen) they can simply be fried or grilled, and excellent served with tartare sauce.
Its peak season is July and August. See 'Crab'; "Blue Crab"; "Tartare sauce".
If you enjoy cooking take a minute to look at ‘Simon Scrutton French Cookery Classes’ on Google – and learn how to make top class bistro-style dishes. Suitable for beginners upwards. Small classes.
Most consumed in this country come from the U.S.A and are "blue crabs". The laws in America are very tight, to control stocks; so that crabs mustn"t be caught when they are soft, as this is their breeding period; so must be caught ahead of time, then held in a holding tank until they shred their skins.
Most come from farmed stocks, but when a crabber sees a blue crab, in the wild,about to moult, he puts the "peeler" in a special float until it sheds its shell. He/she then leaves it in the water an extra hour until the new shell hardens enough so the crab can be shipped, keeping a fairly close watch for the full six to eight hours the whole business requires.
If buying soft-shelled crabs (and they can be found frozen) they can simply be fried or grilled, and excellent served with tartare sauce.
Its peak season is July and August. See 'Crab'; "Blue Crab"; "Tartare sauce".
If you enjoy cooking take a minute to look at ‘Simon Scrutton French Cookery Classes’ on Google – and learn how to make top class bistro-style dishes. Suitable for beginners upwards. Small classes.