Soft-Shell Crabs with Lima Bean Salad, Grilled Bacon, and Cornbread

Name: Soft-Shell Crabs with Lima Bean Salad, Grilled Bacon, and Cornbread
Ingredients: 1/2-pound slab applewood-smoked bacon; 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard; 3/4 cup crème fraîche; 12 jumbo soft-shell crabs (about 3 1/2 ounces each); 1 cup Wondra or all-purpose flour; Cornbread (recipe follows); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil; 2 ounces small arugula; Lima bean salad (recipe follows); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup finely diced onion; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 2 teaspoons thyme leaves; 2 cups fresh lima beans (from 2 pounds in the pod); 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons sliced opal basil; 2 tablespoons sliced flat-leaf parsley; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 10 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 cups cornmeal; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 2 extra-large eggs; 2 1/2 cups buttermilk

January 24, 2012

Every summer when my husband, David, and I visit his parents, we arrive at their house to a feast of peel-and-eat shrimp, Jean’s crab salad, and of course enough “softies” to feed the entire neighborhood. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, soft-shell crabs (blue crabs that have molted their shells) are a grand tradition. The season starts in late spring and continues through the summer. Crabbers must be vigilant: there is only a 4- to 5-hour window during which molting blue crabs are in the “soft-shell” stage, after which their new shells harden if they are not removed from the water. David keeps his Maryland pride alive while living on the West Coast. Every year when crab season starts, his father ships us a few flats of live crabs, and we throw a decadent soft-shell party. We decided that if our humble castle had a coat of arms, it would be two crossed strips of bacon with a soft-shell crab in the center

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