A crisp collard slaw and tangy tartar and cocktail sauces top pan-fried softshell crabs in this classic sandwich, which comes to us from Virginia native Patrick Evans-Hylton.
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCES AND SLAW
- 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. bread and butter pickles, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. minced sweet onion, such as Vidalia
- 1⁄2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1⁄2 tsp. chile flakes
- 1⁄2 cup chile sauce
- 1⁄2 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp. prepared horseradish
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. Asian hot sauce, such as Sriracha
- 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 1⁄2 tsp. celery seed
- 1⁄8 tsp. dry mustard
- 1⁄2 small head green cabbage, shredded
- 2 tbsp. minced parsley
- 6 leaves collard greens, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1⁄2 small onion, coarsely grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE CRABS
- 8 softshell crabs, cleaned
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups flour
- 1⁄3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 buns, toasted
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the tartar sauce: Combine mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, onion, garlic powder, chile flakes, salt, and pepper in a bowl; refrigerate 3 hours.
Step 2
Make the cocktail sauce: Whisk the chile sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and hot sauce in a bowl; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Step 3
Make the coleslaw: Whisk vinegar, sugar, oil, celery seeds, and mustard in a large bowl; add parsley, collards, carrot, onion, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Step 4
Cook the crabs: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper; set aside. Coat crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Heat oil and butter in a 12” skillet over medium-high; working in batches, fry crabs, turning once, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
To assemble the sandwich, slather tartar sauce and cocktail sauce on inside of buns; top each sandwich with 2 crabs and coleslaw.
- Make the tartar sauce: Combine mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, onion, garlic powder, chile flakes, salt, and pepper in a bowl; refrigerate 3 hours.
- Make the cocktail sauce: Whisk the chile sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and hot sauce in a bowl; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Make the coleslaw: Whisk vinegar, sugar, oil, celery seeds, and mustard in a large bowl; add parsley, collards, carrot, onion, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
- Cook the crabs: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper; set aside. Coat crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Heat oil and butter in a 12” skillet over medium-high; working in batches, fry crabs, turning once, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the sandwich, slather tartar sauce and cocktail sauce on inside of buns; top each sandwich with 2 crabs and coleslaw.
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