From “Crazy for Crab” by Fred Thomspon. Makes 4 sandwiches.
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay seasoning
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Canola or peanut oil for frying
4 prime soft-shell crabs, cleaned (ask the fish guy to clean them for you)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
8 slices white sandwich bread
8 strips crisp thick-cut bacon
4 thick ripe tomato slices
8 ripe but firm Hass avocado slices
Romaine lettuce leaves, torn
Directions
Mix together the flour, cornmeal and Bay seasoning in a pie plate. Combine the eggs and water in another pie plate.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a little cornmeal sprinkled in the pan sizzles as soon as it hits the oil.
Meanwhile, dip each crab into the egg mixture, then dredge with the cornmeal mixture. (Use one hand for the wet stuff and one for the dry.) Gently shake any excess cornmeal mixture off the crabs. Take care in the next step, as the crabs tend to “spit” when they hit the hot oil. Ease 2 crabs into the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the crabs to paper towels or brown paper bags to drain. (Draining on bags will give you a crisper crust.) Repeat with the remaning 2 crabs.
Make the sandwiches by spreading 1/2 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Place a crab on 4 of the slices. Top each with 2 strips of bacon, a slice of tomato, 2 slices of avocado and some lettuce.
