Tatsuta Deep-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs with Ginger

The Japanese technique of deep frying foods that have been marinated in soy sauce, then dredged in cornstarch, is called tatsuta agé after Princess Tatsuta, a legendary figure said to have been fond of red maples. The burnished red color of the fried foods is thought to resemble the autumnal foliage as it begins to turn. This style of frying is particularly popular with bits of chicken and small whole fish, such as sand dabs.

I first sampled soft-shell crabs served tatsuta