Soft-Shell Crab Bruschetta with Spring Garlic Aioli

Name: Soft-Shell Crab Bruschetta with Spring Garlic Aioli
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 4 (3- to 4-ounce) soft-shell crabs; 4 thick-cut slices baguette; 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 2 cups loosely packed baby greens (such as arugula or watercress); 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 1 bulb spring onion, shaved with a mandoline; 4 tablespoons Spring Garlic Aioli (page 217)

December 14, 2011

Not an authentic bruschetta (you’d never eat this dish in Italy), this appetizer is damn good all the same, with the garlicky aioli making a rich bed for the crispy grilled crabs. Look for soft-shell crabs in May through July, when blue crabs begin to molt and shed their hard shells. Once they do, it takes about four days for their new shells to solidify, and it’s during this window that they are perfect for eating whole. It’s best to buy soft-shell crabs live and kill and clean them yourself, but you may have them cleaned at the fishmonger and cook them as soon as possible once you get home.

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