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

• 2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 live soft-shelled crabs (preferably 4 to 5 inches wide), cleaned
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup self-rising cake flour, see cook's note
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Accompaniment: Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce, recipe below
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno chile (including seeds)

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.
5. Lift 1 crab out of buttermilk, letting excess drip off, and shake in bag to coat with flour.
6. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray.
7. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated.
8. 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.
9. Reheat oil to very hot between batches.
10. Drain crabs on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce.
11. Cooks' note: If you can't find self-rising cake flour, you can use 1 cup all-purpose or cake flour mixed with 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
12. Stir together all sauce ingredients.
13. Refrigerate until ready to use.
14. Yield: 1 1/2 cups

wellshaken, eggs, kosher salt, black pepper, vegetable oil, cake flour, yellow cornmeal, vegetable oil, accompaniment, mayonnaise, dill pickles, red onion, fresh cilantro, capers, lime juice, jalapeno chile

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cornmeal-crusted-soft-shelled-crabs-with-cilantro-lime-tartar-sauce-recipe.html (may not work)