Crabs....

[Dadrick]

Love crabs, hate mustard.

Unfortunately, I only get crabs once or twice a year. Recent prices have been crazy and the quality/size has been shoddy. Too many that a few years ago would have been thrown back as too small. As much as it would hurt the watermen I would like to see a two-five year moritoreum like the DNR did with the Rockfish to give the population a chance to catch up to the demand.

Now as much as "Old Bay" is a part of crab culture in MD, I was taken to a resturant on a backwater in southern Calvert or St Mary's Counties many years ago and had some incredible crabs. Their recipe for the seasonings used zero "Old Bay". The seasoning was very light in color, mostly white/tan with some darker flecks. I imagine it had a large portion of sea salt, with white and black pepper, but there was much more complexity to it that has faded with time. I don't know the name of the resturant, I don't know where it is, but I want to find it again if it still exists. Anyone have any idea?

 

[jmulligan]

This year I will keep my eye open for it in the shell and give it a try before it gets smeared over everything.

Definitely DO. I eat the mustard as soon as I pry open the shell - it's best when it's still nice and warm, and I generally only eat the ones that are a nice mustardy yellow and plump (leave the shriveled or green-looking ones alone, they don't usually taste that good).

Can't wait for my first crabs of the season, which probably won't be for another month at least. And you're totally on it Skins_Brew - eating crabs is a very social thing; grab a pitcher of beer and settle in for a few hours.

I love being able to smell crabs and Old Bay on my fingers for the couple of hours following eating them.

 

[Ryan_PA]

I love this thread. I have to agree, blue claws are my 100% favorite crab, and probibly my second favorite seafood, next to oysters.

I really cannot think of a better way to spend a hot day in NJ, Dewey, or on the Chesapeake than in a fold out chair, drinkin a beer and plunking a few drop lines. I have been crabbing since I was a tiny kid at my grandfathers place off the Barnaget Bay in jersey. Can't wait to teach my kid how its done! Perhaps this is the year.

 

[mmb]

I'd love to go crabbing. When my kid sister lived in yarmoth maine we went out on the lobster boats and I do believe that I'd have to do it if I lived out there.

I'll settle for Lake Trout on Lake Huron.

 

[jmulligan]

My stepdad took me crabbing when I was like 12, and a friend of his brought the line (we were trolling, using a line with bait tied on it in intervals). The bait was bull lips (WTF?) and it was so freaking stinky. Guess crabs like distinct smells/flavors too, cause we caught a ton that day.

 

[red96jeep]

^^ well they are bottom feeders lol. and havening tasted both blue and king crabs i gotta say MD blues are the best. and the best MD blues are from the chester river! i try and not to eat natural bay crabs too much due to they fact that they are all pretty much dead and i dont wanna be one of the ass hats that finishes em off. but some farm crabs arnt half bad either. and crab mustard FTW!!!!

 

[Skins_Brew]

nice avatar Jmull. Looks like you are certainly in the crab mood. I was reading up and apparently bull lips are cheap and and will last a while if crabs are munching on them. We use chicken necks. I was down in VA Beach last summer and didn't feel like finding chicken necks, so I just bought a cheap pack of drumsticks and thighs. The crabs were cleaning that bait to the bone in a matter of minutes. I have always heard when they pull a body out of the bay they are pretty tore up and covered with blue crabs.

 

[jgln]

nice avatar Jmull. Looks like you are certainly in the crab mood. I was reading up and apparently bull lips are cheap and and will last a while if crabs are munching on them. We use chicken necks. I was down in VA Beach last summer and didn't feel like finding chicken necks, so I just bought a cheap pack of drumsticks and thighs. The crabs were cleaning that bait to the bone in a matter of minutes. I have always heard when they pull a body out of the bay they are pretty tore up and covered with blue crabs.

That statement might put a damper on a few appetites.

 

[jgln]

Haven't gone in a few years, too busy, barely find time to fish anymore. I don't eat them but I like to catch them for my GF to eat. I would eat them if starving and probably like them but just too messy and “gross” IMO. I don't like crowds so we usually look for places a bit difficult to get to but we are usually there alone however I have noticed paths being worn were we go so the peace and quit may be slowly disappearing.

 

[Skins_Brew]

That statement might put a damper on a few appetites.

Not mine! The crab is just doing what comes natural to him, scavenging.

 

[jgln]

Not mine! The crab is just doing what comes natural to him, scavenging.

Then I suggest the next time you hear about a drowning in the bay you rush down and hang out for the divers to pull the body out of the water, could come up with a bushel in one pull.

 

[dataz722]

That statement might put a damper on a few appetites.

That just means that you need to make sure your crabs dont come from the baltimore harbor area.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Most bays are polluted. It's really sad.

 

[Skins_Brew]

Yea they are Unfortunately it takes everyone who lives in the watershed to actually start caring and its going to be a long time before that happens.

NJ Tomato, I forgot to comment, that recipe sounds awesome. I am def going to try that out this season. Speaking of tomatoes, another summer time classic I am craving is a tomato sandwich. They taste best when its a home grown tomato AND it goes from tomato plate to sandwich in under 10 minutes on a super hot day so that the tomato slices are still warm when you eat it. White bread, mayo, salt and pepper- Classic!!

 

[FermentedNovice]

Day 1. Catch crabs, steam all. usually eat 6 or 8.
Day 2. Pick the rest.
Day 3. Hollow out 2 large tomatoes from the garden. Put a small chunk of butter in the bottom of the tomato. Mix crab meat and just enough Hellmans mayo, and fill up tomato. sprinkle lightly with Old Bay, drizzle with olive oil, bake at 350 for about 15/20 mins. Serve along side of 2 ears of corn from the garden.

Best dinner ever.

I had to bump this old thread to say that recipe this looks absolutely heavenly, and mustard FTW.

Any of you Maryland folks have a recommendation for a great homebrew to go with some MD blue crab, or possibly a good local brew? I'm headed there with friends this fall (near Annapolis, I think), and want to brew up a good ale to wash down all the crab/seafood and Old Bay. Any recommendation would be appreciated (I posted this in the food pairing forum, but figured this might be a good spot as well).

Thanks.

Jim