Only one thing to do this weekend if rain ruins your grilling plans: be crabby. We have the first soft shell crabs of the season at the fish counter. The East Coast soft shell season is marked by the first full moon in May, when crabs begin molting or shedding their shells to accommodate growth. The crabs we have are live so they must be dressed and cleaned before cooking – ask your Provisions fishmonger to do it for you. One classic method of preparation is dredging in seasoned flour and frying. Enjoy with a slice of ripe tomato and lettuce on bread and your choice of sauce.

Soft Shell Crabs

12 soft shell crabs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
oil for frying

With a pair of scissors, cut off the mouth and face behind the eyes. Cut off the apron. Lift the top shell and snip out the lungs on each side. Run under cold water to clean. Combine flour and seasoning in bowl and dredge crabs. Fill frying pan or skillet 1/2 inch high with oil and heat to 375F. Place crabs in oil, reduce heat slightly and cook, turning once until both sides are browned (approximately 5 minutes each side).