It’s Soft Shell Crab Season, But Not For Long

Under the light of the first full moon in May, some ancient alchemy triggers a mass molting event that leads to one of the most deliciously fleeting events of the year—soft shell crab season.

Soft shell crabs aren’t a particular type of crab; rather, it’s a stage of life between when a growing crab sheds its hard shell and before their new shell begins to harden. It’s an incredibly short window (shells start to recalcify in 2-3 hours), and at this perfect stage, there’s around a 24-28 hour window between being caught and getting eaten if stored properly. 

“It’s one of the most anticipated seafood seasons of the year,” says Brian Okada, vice president of culinary and brand development at King’s Seafood Company, the restaurant group behind Water Grill, King’s Fish House, and Lou & Mickey’s. For Water Grill and King’s Fish House, Okada begins sourcing live Chesapeake Bay blue crabs for peak freshness. This year, it hit the menu on May 3, just two days after the first full moon.

The full moon lore is (mostly) poetic license. Most soft shell crabs are blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia, as well as Gulf Coast states like Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. Crabs living in the warmer southern waters can start molting as early as March, while fishermen can continue harvesting in the colder northern Atlantic as late as September, depending on the year. 

With such a predictably brief window, chefs like Aidan Owens at Herb & Sea and Herb & Wood start planning specials long in advance—at Herb & Sea, it’s fried soft shell crab with spätzle, gribiche, and local greens. Depending on his availability, he estimates it’ll be around through the first week in June. 

This year, Okada created four different soft shell riffs—at King’s Fish House, he’s doing a Southern-style fried crab with corn succotash and fried green tomato, plus a picatta-style pan-fried crab with Israeli couscous, lemon butter, and capers. At Water Grill, the first special leans into Thai flavors with fried crab served with roasted eggplant and bok choy that are tossed in a cilantro-serrano fish sauce vinaigrette over coconut rice with Thai basil, salted peanut butter brittle crumble, and a red curry sauce. Later this summer, the dish will transition to a fried crab atop a watermelon and cucumber salad with a brown butter-soy ginger sauce.

Some local restaurants keep soft shell crab on the menu as long as they can. La Corriente, for instance, has a signature soft shell crab taco with Guajillo pepper tempura, pickled onions, Santa Fe pepper, cheese, and avocado. Others, like Ironside Fish & Oyster, tend to release their specials later in the season, but the newly returned executive chef Jason McLeod did tease a crispy battered soft shell crab special with ramps coming soon.

If soft shell crabs remind us of any universal truth, it’s that pleasure is fleeting. Get it while you can. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Beth’s Bites

• In other good-slash-fantastic news, at long, long, long last, TNT Pizza is actually about to open their second location in Chula Vista (probably soon, we hope and pray). I don’t know what’s in the air at the San Diego permitting offices, but it has seemed like the last few years have quintupled how long it takes to open a restaurant, so we wish them (and everyone else trying to get a place going) the best of luck. 
• In even more good-slash-fantastic news, the Michelin Guide added Lucien in La Jolla to the recommended list of the California Guide—the only restaurant in the county to earn the accolade. 
• I enjoy a fancy meal as much as the next foodie, but put the word “endless” in a food-related event name and I am on my way. On Thursday, May 28 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the team at Japanese fusion spot Lumi are going to break down a 100-150 lb. bluefin tuna for a continuous parade of sushi, nigiri, and other fun dishes that will incorporate everything from otoro to akami. There will be sake. There will be dessert. But I mean, there’s endless tuna. Say less, chef! 

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