Fried Crabs

Three lines of instruction that assume you already know how to dress a soft-shell crab and that there is a skillet of salt pork fat on the stove. Fill in those two gaps and the recipe works exactly as written.

• Salt pork gravyThis means the rendered fat left in the pan after frying slices of salt pork, not a thickened sauce. Fry 3-4 oz of diced or sliced salt pork slowly until the fat runs and the pieces are crisp, lift them out, and cook the crabs in the fat; about 1/4 inch in the pan is right. Bacon fat, lard or a neutral oil all substitute, though the salt pork carries the flavor the book is after.
• Dressing the crabsThe original takes cleaning for granted. Cut off the face just behind the eyes, lift the pointed top shell on each side and pull out the feathery gray gills, then turn the crab over and remove the apron. Pat dry before the egg or the coating slides off.
• Buy them alive or frozenSoft-shells should be alive when cleaned, or bought already cleaned and frozen. A dead uncleaned soft-shell spoils fast; the digestive organs break down quickly in warm weather. Fishmongers will clean them on request.
• Heat and timingMedium-high fat, around 350-375F, three to four minutes a side until the shell is red-brown and crisp. Longer and the body dries out while the legs scorch. The crabs will spit and pop as the moisture under the shell escapes, so a lid held as a shield is worth having.
• Cracker crumbsPeriod cracker crumbs came from soda or water crackers crushed fine, which are drier than modern bread crumbs and tend to give a crisper crust. Saltines pounded in a bag are the closest match; if you use panko, expect a coarser crust.
• SeasoningNothing is specified. Salt and pepper the egg wash, since the salt pork fat alone will not season the meat inside the shell.
• YieldTwo to three crabs per person as a main course, one as a first course. Cook in batches so the pan stays hot, and serve at once with lemon or a vinegar-based sauce.