Soft Shell Crab
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Soft shell crab becomes delicately crispy when air-fried – you can eat the entire thing! Find out how to clean and prep your crab, plus timing and temperature for air frying to crispy perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 soft shell crabs, cleaned
- Oil spray
- Salt and your seasoning of choice
Steps
- 01If the crabs aren't already cleaned, here's what to do: lift each pointed side of the top shell and pull out the feathery gills underneath. Cut off the face (the front 1/4 inch behind the eyes) with scissors. Flip over and pull off the triangular apron on the belly. Rinse and pat dry.
- 02Spray both sides with oil. Season generously.
- 03Ready for the air fryer, belly-side up.
You eat the ENTIRE crab. Shell, legs, claws, everything. That's the whole point of soft shell crab. The shell is paper-thin (the crab has just molted its hard shell) and becomes delicately crispy when cooked. If someone at the table is squeamish about eating a whole crab, don't tell them until after they've taken a bite and loved it. Soft shell crab season is May through September. Outside of season, find them frozen at Asian and seafood markets.
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How to Air Fry It
- 01Preheat air fryer to 390°F (199°C).
- 02Clean crabs and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- 03Lightly spray with oil and season generously on both sides.
- 04Place in the basket belly side up.
- 05Cook for 5 minutes.
- 06Flip carefully and cook for another 5 minutes until crispy.
- 07Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Lightly spray the basket or tray before cooking.
Recipe Notes
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Season it up
Pairs well
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