Posted by Catherine Gerson in fish and shellfish, ingredients, restaurant review, seafood on June 26, 2007 at 2:36 pm

The Fish Store
657 College Street
416-533-2822
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip, and soda/juice: $20-$30, depending on the type of fish

I’m not the deep-frying type. I have the occasional craving for fries or onion rings, though generally I limit their consumption to equally greasy pubs. But for a short period of time every spring, there is an item that warrants, nay demands, its fling with oil. I’m talking about soft-shell crabs. Like a summer love, they glide into town with the breeze and stay a mere week or two, taking with them a piece of your heart. Of course, there is nothing to do but wait the long wait until next spring for the familiar lover, er, crustacean, to make its reappearance.

Preparing soft-shell crabs for consumption isn’t for the squeamish. For starters, try cutting the little guy’s face off, which is about an inch and half of eyes and mouth, then squeezing out its insides and finally snipping its breathing apparatus. Bet they never showed you how to use scissors like this in kindergarten! Dredged in a mixture of flour and cornmeal, pan-fry them until they’re crispy.

On the other hand, not everyone is into decapitating live creatures, though rest assured soft-shell crabs are missing the shattering crunch and crack of say, a lobster. In this case, your money may well be better spent at The Fish Store. It is, for all intents and purposes, a place to sit down for a quick, delectable and simple lunch. On offer are about ten or so choices of fish, from halibut and tuna to wild salmon and snapper. I opted for a seat at the makeshift bar outside in order to avoid the pervasive grilling odours. The ultra kind and soft-spoken shopkeeper will grill it to order (though in this case, the soft-shells are fried), sprinkle on a blend of seasonings (is that powdered garlic I’m tasting?) and a few coriander leaves, lettuce and tomato. For those who must eschew the bread there are homemade seafood soups. Resist reaching for a hunk of someone else’s bun to sop up every last drop.

While El Jefe and I have had a few College Street sandwiches on lazy Friday evenings, I’d prefer flexing my frying muscles and reaping the satisfaction of preparing soft-shell crab sandwiches from slimy start to crispy finish. On one particular balmy evening our efforts yielded a respectable outcome. We opted for plain white buns, an empty palate on which we could showcase the crispy soft-shells, a spicy aioli and some local greens. Tucking into the crustacean, I marvelled at its tiny legs protruding, its pliable shell, essentially robbed youth in a bun, and I thought, though he may or may not have lived fast, he died young and left me a tasty corpse.