Buster Crabs with Lemon-Pecan Sauce

All along the eastern and Gulf coasts, soft shell blue crabs are often referred to as “busters,” most likely a reference to a molting crab “busting” loose from its old shell. Why the buster crabs in and around New Orleans always seem to me to be much larger and more succulent than those found elsewhere I can’t explain—especially since, generally, small busters are supposed to be the tenderest and most flavorful. Soft-shell crabs are now widely available in markets from spring to mid-summer.