Food and Recipes Seafood Crab Cornmeal-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches Be the first to rate & review! Slathered with spicy mayo, this decadent sandwich is the best way to celebrate soft-shell crab season. By Ali Ramee Ali Ramee Ali Ramee is a recipe developer and food stylist for Dotdash Meredith. A College of Charleston graduate with a communications major, Ali began her culinary career in the kitchens of chef Hugh Acheson in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 23, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 This decadent sandwich is the best way to celebrate soft-shell crab season. Coated in a buttermilk and hot sauce mixture, before dredged in cornmeal, the crustaceans in this sandwich fry up shatteringly crispy and extra flavorful. It wouldn’t be a Southern sandwich without mayonnaise, but we don’t just lay it on without a little doctoring. For added tang, we fold in chopped pepperoncini (and a bit of their juice), as well as fresh chives and dill, for a refreshing spread with tartar sauce-like-vibes. And while you might not fry crabs at home regularly, this recipe will feel familiar as it follows a standard frying procedure. The only (possibly) difficult part is preparing the crabs. Although you can clean live soft-shell crabs yourself, it’s not a job for the faint of heart. We recommend buying them freshly cleaned and cooking them within two hours of purchase. Ingredients 1 large egg 1 cup whole buttermilk 1 Tbsp. hot sauce 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided 4 soft-shell crabs (about 3/4 lb. total), cleaned 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini (from 1 [12-oz.] jar), plus 1 Tbsp. pickling liquid from jar 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup (about 2 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup canola oil 4 brioche burger buns, split 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce 1 medium-size (10 oz.) beefsteak tomato, sliced Directions Whisk together egg, buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a large shallow bowl. Add crabs, and turn to coat; let stand in buttermilk mixture until ready to use. Stir together mayonnaise, pepperoncini and pickling liquid, chives, and dill in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir together cornmeal, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a shallow dish until combined; set aside. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Remove 1 crab from buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Transfer to cornmeal mixture; turn to fully coat. Gently place in hot oil. Repeat process with remaining crabs. Cook crabs until golden and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through cook time. Transfer crabs to a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slather cut sides of buns evenly with mayonnaise mixture; top bottom bun halves evenly with lettuce, tomato, and crabs. Replace top bun halves. Serve immediately. Rate it Print