Cornmeal-Crusted Soft-Shelled Crabs with Cilantro-Lime Tartar Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon pepper black
• 2 cups buttermilk well-shaken
• 1 cup self-rising cake flour 
• 2 tablespoons capers drained chopped
• 0.3 cup dill pickles chopped
• 2 large eggs 
• 0.5 cup cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 2 teaspoons jalapeño chile fresh minced (including seeds)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt 
• 1 tablespoon juice of lime fresh to taste
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 0.3 cup onion red chopped
• 8  live soft-shelled crabs cleaned (preferably 4 to 5 inches wide)
• 4 servings accompaniment: cilantro lime tartar sauce 
• 4 servings vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup cornmeal yellow

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• whisk
• ziploc bags

Directions

1. Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, salt, and pepper and pour into a 3-quart shallow dish.
2. Add crabs and soak, covered and chilled, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Heat enough vegetable oil to measure 1-inch deep in a wide shallow skillet to very hot.
4. Whisk together flour and cornmeal and transfer to a large sealable plastic bag. Lift 1 crab out of buttermilk, letting excess drip off, and shake in bag to coat with flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated. Shallow-fry the crabs, 4 at a time, turning over halfway through frying (watch out for popping or use a frying screen), until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Reheat oil to very hot between batches.
5. Drain crabs on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce.
6. Stir together all sauce ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.