F&W Free Preview All You Coastal Living Cooking Light Food and Wine tab Health myRecipes Southern Living Sunset

Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs with Tartar Sauce

  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 4

When you grow up in Baltimore, as Steven Raichlen did, soft-shell crabs in June are part of your culinary calendar. They're usually pan-fried or deep-fried, but grilling brings out their sweetness. The accompanying tartar sauce is flavored with Old Bay Seasoning, invented by a German-Jewish spice merchant in Baltimore.

Our Pairing Suggestion

Viognier would complement the sweetness of the crab and the creaminess of the tartar sauce. Try one from Washington State or California.

Recipe: Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs with Tartar Sauce

  • FAST

TARTAR SAUCE

  1. 1 cup mayonnaise
  2. 1 tablespoon drained capers, finely chopped
  3. 1 tablespoon snipped chives
  4. 1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichons
  5. 1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeños
  6. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  7. 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
  8. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  9. 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
  10. Salt and freshly ground pepper

CRAB SANDWICHES

  1. Vegetable oil, for the grill
  2. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
  3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  4. 2 small shallots, minced
  5. 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
  6. 4 rolls, split
  7. 12 cleaned soft-shell crabs
  8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Light a grill. Brush the grate with oil. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic, shallots and seafood seasoning and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes; don't let the garlic brown.
  3. Grill the rolls until golden; move the rolls to a cooler part of the grill. Brush the crabs generously with the aromatic butter and season with salt and pepper. Grill the crabs over high heat, turning occasionally, until bright red, crisp and charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Spread the tartar sauce on the rolls, top with the crabs and serve.
food
The Dish Twice weekly chef recipes made easy, weekly meal planners.

wine
The Wine List Weekly pairings, best bottles to buy and the latest news.

daily
F&W Daily One sensational dish served fresh every day.
American Express Publishing ("AEP") may use your email address to send you account updates and offers that may interest you. To learn more about the ways we may use your email address and about your privacy choices, read the AEP Privacy Statement.
How we use your email address

MARKETPLACE

View Website Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement of American Express Publishing Corporation.

Users of this site agree to be bound by the terms of the American Express Publishing
Corporation Website Terms and Conditions.

Copyright © 1997 - 2012 American Express Publishing Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
3.45-ci