Get a taste of Lowcountry delicacy at Port Royal Soft Shell Crab Festival

It's springtime in the Lowcountry, and that means it's the beginning of soft-shell crab season.

Soft-shells are actually just blue crabs that have shed their shells in a warm-weather growth spurt. Harvested at the just the right time, the crabs stay soft and are almost completely edible.

If you have never tried these floppy crustaceans or are looking for your first softie fix of the season, head to the Soft Shell Crab Festival on Saturday in Port Royal.

Now in its 12th year, the festival will be serving up soft-shell dishes from Sea Eagle Market, Low Country Connection, Melly Mel's, and Emily's Restaurant & Tapas Bar, in addition to other non-seafood vendors.

There will also be live music, a cornhole tournament, face-painting and a rubber-crab race, where about 5,000 rubber crabs can be "adopted" for $10 each. Proceeds from the crab race benefit theBeaufort and Lowcountry Rotary clubs, which support several charitable causes.

SOFT-SHELL 101

The crabs' shedding process takes days, possibly weeks, explained Sea Eagle Market owner Craig Reeves.

When the blue crabs start to molt, the "peelers" are placed in harvesting tanks. Once the crabs bust out of their shells, the "busters" are carefully monitored 24/7, Reeves said.

Crabbers will feel across the face of the crab for the shell starting to re-form and will pull them out to stop that process. The crabs are most vulnerable after shedding their shells and will die if taken out too early. They grow a new hard shell quickly, sometimes within a day.

Because the crabs need direct heat to give them their characteristic outer crispness, they should not be boiled or steamed like hard-shell crabs, according to Sea Eagle Market's weekly newsletter. Pan fried or sautèed is the traditional preparation.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THEM

"It's definitely a delicacy," Reeves said. It's a lot of work to pick the meat out of a hard crab, whereas the soft-shell crab is pretty simple, he said. You can eat the whole thing (except the eyes, mouth and gills).

Any crustacean that sheds is incredibly flavorful, Reeves added.

"It's just a different flavor. It's wonderful."

SEA EAGLE MARKET'S SOFT-SHELL CRAB SANDWICH RECIPE

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon seasoning of choice

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup Sea Eagle Market Tartar Sauce

8 slices of your choice of bread

12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices plum tomato

4 bibb lettuce leaves

INSTRUCTIONSRinse crabs. Pat dry with paper towels.

Combine flour and seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge each crab in flour mixture.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter begins to brown. Add crabs. Cook for 3 minutes, gently pressing body and legs against pan. Turn crabs and cook 3 minutes or until brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

Spread 1 tablespoon tartar sauce over each of 4 bread slices. Top each with 1 crab, 3 tomato slices, and 1 lettuce leaf. Top each with 1 bread slice.

This story was originally published April 15, 2015 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Get a taste of Lowcountry delicacy at Port Royal Soft Shell Crab Festival."