Live Soft Shell Crab from Maryland

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Many consider soft shell crabs to be a delicacy, and a way to enjoy crabs without the arduous task of picking the meat out of them. Soft shells are any crab that has molted within the last 12 hours. During that time the shells are soft and papery, so they can be eaten whole, claw to claw. Chef Spike Gjerde is the first Baltimore chef to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, and was raised in Baltimore. He knows his crabs: "Blue crab is really unlike any other crab in the world, thanks to the growing conditions, and the type of estuary we have here," he says. "They are superior to any other crab in my opinion."

Before finding their way to a plate, soft shells are typically fried with a seasoned batter or sautéed. It’s hard not to love something deep fried, but many natives consider sautéing the better option to not overwhelm the sweetness of the meat. Both methods preserve the fatty mustard inside and typically lead to a crab gushing with juice.

Our responsibly harvested seafood is hand-selected and shipped overnight within a few hours of arriving dockside, so you know it is fresh. Professional chefs from around the world rely on our sources, and they can taste the difference. Now you can order direct delivery to your home overnight instead of searching for seafood in local markets that may have taken many days to ship from sea to store or frozen them.

Find soft shell crab recipes here

 - all orders ship overnight delivery

Hugo Matheson; Executive chef at The Kitchen