A vendor holding a soft-shell crab at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market in Washington, D.C. Last weekend I went to Washington, D.C. to do a cooking demonstration at a farmer's market. I hadn't been there in years, and I was delighted at how closely the city's cuisine mirrors its southerly position on the map. Even better, I found myself in a coastal Southern city---D.C. is roughly an hour from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay---at the height of crab season, and that meant crab cakes, crab po-boys, and soft-shell crabs cooked any number of ways on every menu I saw. Soft-shell crabs were for sale at the farmer's market, and because I didn't know when I'd have this opportunity again, I decided to buy some and try cooking with them.
 
I knew there was a very simple recipe by food writer Mark Bittman in the New York Times for soft shell crabs with pasta and garlic (see below), so I bought a few accoutrements to put my own spin on this one-pot dish. As leafy greens are my favorite ingredient, I looked around for something resembling kale and found a tender, mild green of Italian origin called erba stella. I also invested in a chunk of aged sheep's cheese to grate on the pasta, to give the dish some extra richness.
 
 
Soft-shell crabs cooking in garlic and olive oil I brought my treasures to my host's home and kept the crabs on ice in the refrigerator until I was ready to cook. A word of warning to the faint of heart: Soft-shell crabs are sold live. You can either take them home alive and keep them on ice uncovered in the refrigerator for a few days, or have them cleaned by the fishmonger, in which case you'll need to cook them right away as they will start to lose their freshness once they are no longer alive. If you want to clean the crabs yourself, here is an instructional video by Mark Bittman. The process involves the shocking act of snipping off the eyes (sorry), and pulling off the gills on the underside.
 
 
Soft-shell crabs with pasta, leafy greens, garlic, and grated Pecorino Once the crabs are cleaned, this recipe is very simple. You just warm the garlic in oil, then place the crabs in the saucepan and let them cook. The interesting part is that once the crabs are cooked, after about 15 minutes, you use a scissors to cut them into bite-sized pieces. Although it feels strange to snip away at your food, this method makes perfect sense because cutting the crabs over the pan means that none of the cooking juices are lost, as they would be if you were to cut the crab on a cutting board. If you're somewhere where you can find fresh crabs, try cooking them yourself. Paired with a crisp beer, dry white wine, or icy lemonade, they taste of summer, the sea, and the American South.
 
Pasta With Soft-Shell Crabs
 
Adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe which appeared in the New York Times on May 28, 2008
 
Time: 30 minutes
 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or a little more
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon
crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned (at fish market if you like)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound long pasta, like spaghetti or linguine
2 cups leafy greens such as erba stella, kale, collards, or mustard greens, sliced into short strands
2 ounces dry aged cheese such as Pecorino Romano
 
1. In a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm oil, garlic and chili flakes over low heat; do not let garlic brown. When garlic is soft — at least 5 minutes — add crabs (keep heat low to medium low; liquid in pan should barely bubble) and cover. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
 
2. Let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. When crabs are almost done, begin cooking pasta. When crabs are done, use tongs to remove them and hold them while cutting up with scissors. Return to pan. Add the greens and toss with the crab.
 
3. Drain pasta when it is barely tender, a little short of how you’d want to eat it, reserving some cooking water. Add pasta to crabs and toss together over medium heat with pan juices and black pepper, adding some cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (The amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
 
When pasta is perfectly cooked, garnish with freshly grated cheese and serve.
 
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

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