Name: Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs with Spicy Tartar Sauce
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or trimmed scallion greens; 1 tablespoon chopped sour pickles, preferably cornichons; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 to 2 fresh or pickled jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped; 1 cup good-quality mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or basil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Salt (optional); 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, or ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 12 soft-shell crabs, cleaned; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste; 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Barbecue Bible

By Steven Raichlen

Published 1998

About

Like all crustaceans, crabs periodically shed their shells to make room for future growth. Soft-shell crabs are freshly molted blue crabs. You eat the molted crab carapace and all; the crabs are in season from May through August. Most recipes call for soft-shells to be panfried or deep-fried. Grilling produces great-tasting crabs with a fraction of the fat. You still get the wonderful soft-shell crab flavor and texture: briny as the ocean and potato-chip crisp.

The crabs should be l