October 15th marks the beginning of stone crab season in Florida. Natives have enjoyed these succulent cousins of the Blue Crab since the days of the Glades Indians. Every bay-front house set traps for these wonderful creatures to crawl into, and, if the crabs didn’t enter the traps, we could scoop them up in nets. We adhered to the rules to protect the species: Claw lengths had to measure a minimum of 2.75 inches to protect the smaller-clawed female. We carefully broke off only one claw, returning the crab to the bay for the other to grow back. Those who had boats set traps into deeper waters and waited for them to fill up with these wonderful creatures that existed solely for our feast. Occasionally, we would find a lone, fat octopus within their midst and knew the little monster had sucked all the jelly substance from their claws all by himself, leaving them empty and our feast thwarted. History, by the way, seems to reflect that the octopus has been most prevalent during the years the crab also bred in its greatest number. It would seem that nature kept track of its natural predator. When we were rewarded for our trapping efforts, we quickly hauled the crabs back to land where we boiled them immediately. It was important not to place the claws on ice before cooking or the jelly within would stick to the shells, making them difficult to crack and ruining the texture.
The supply so exceeded the demand that, during the 1960’s, twenty-four small claws could be purchased from fishermen for thirty cents and the jumbo claws went for $1.00 each. Then, sadness struck our waters. We began to ship our delicacy outside Florida. As the rest of the world became savvy about our native specialty during the seventies, Florida began its merciless purge for export. As a result, the species dwindled and the price zoomed out of control. By 1985, these claws were selling at retail fish markets for $10 dollars a pound. By 2010, the large claws fetched anywhere between $20-$30 dollars.
Stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria) are usually best and less expensive at the beginning of each season. Although smaller claws can be purchased in some supermarkets, private fish markets sell larger claws and, in this writer’s opinion, handle and store them with better care to insure quality. It is easier to have the fishmonger crack the claws, but, to insure peak quality, they should not be cracked until directly before serving. It takes practice to crack instead of smashing them. Place 3-4 claws flat side up in a plastic bag and whack each with a medium sized hammer at the center of the claw. One hard hit – just enough to crack but not smash it; a second hit on the large joint, and a third at the knobbed joint. The third one is most important because the shell is softer and will smash easily.
True stone crab aficionados would never consider creating a recipe. All they require is lemon and butter or mustard sauce. If you would like a little variety or wish to cut back on the price, try the recipes I have created below. And, don’t forget Key Lime Pie for dessert. Whether you make them into patties and serve with a spicy sauce or invent your own sauces to serve over pasta or rice, or decide to stir-fry with vegetables, don’t forget the coleslaw and the Key Lime Pie.
MUSTARD SAUCE
Yield: 2 cups
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup strong mustard (Dijon is best)
1 tablespoon white horseradish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional: Pinch of cayenne pepper
Mix together and refrigerate one hour or longer.
BAKED CRAB
Yield: 4 servings
2 ½ cups meat (or more) from crab claws
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon white horseradish
1/2 cup plain bread or cornflake crumbs
3 tablespoons butter
1. Remove meat from the claws and legs.
2. Combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire and horseradish. Carefully fold in crab and spoon into a shallow baking dish or individual ramekins.
3. Melt butter and toss in crumbs. Sprinkle over the crab mixture and bake in a preheated 350° oven approximately 6-8 minutes, or until brown on top.
TROPICAL CRAB SALAD
Yield: 4 servings
2 ½ cups meat (or more) from crab claws
½ red, yellow, or orange bell pepper (yellow and orange are mild)
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 rib celery, chopped
1 tablespoon strong mustard
Juice from 2 lemons
1 cup mayonnaise
Black olives, sliced
Chopped iceberg lettuce
Seedless grapes, melon and fresh pineapple cut into cubes
1. Cut the crab meat into fairly large pieces and set aside.
2. Place the pepper, skin side up, on a piece of foil under the broiler. When it turns black, remove it and close the foil around it. Let stand 10 minutes and peel off the skin. Slice the pepper into thin strips.
3. Combine the dill, tarragon, celery, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Taste for salt and pepper.
4. Chop the lettuce and toss it with one-quarter cup of the dressing. Set the crab chunks on top with a spoonful of dressing on top. Set strips of broiled red pepper over. Surround with the grapes, melon, and pineapple cubes.
Note: The grapes, melon, and pineapple may be exchanged for grapefruit sections and sliced avocado.
CRAB FLORENTINE
Yield: 4 servings
1½ pounds fresh salad spinach
3 cups coarsely- chopped crab
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 pound white mushrooms, cut into small chunks
¼ cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped scallion greens
Tiny tomatoes, cherry or ‘grape’, sliced into halves
1. Slit the top of the bag of spinach. Microwave on high exactly 2 minutes. Allow to cool before removing the leaves to a bowl. Toss with salt. Set into a strainer to drain any excess water.
2. Chop the crab and set aside.
3. Warm the butter, oil and garlic in a pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms become soft. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the cilantro and scallions.
4. Add the spinach and toss until all is very hot. Divide onto 4 plates. Top with the crab and surround with tiny tomatoes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment