By Lisa Helme Danforth and Julianna Henriques
A lthough many foodies and fishermen think blue crabs are synonymous with the Chesapeake Bay, Rhody anglers know the tasty crustacean is common to our waters. Starting with the first full moon in May, adult blue crabs start crawling out of their winter mud holes to molt–making them prime prey for birds and fish–as well as the crabbers who scoop them up for sale to restaurants where they are served fried, sauced and eaten whole as soft-shelled crabs.
Growing up on Shelter Island, off the end of Long Island, we caught them all summer in the creeks and off our dock. My father used to love to bring home a bucket of them and set them loose, one by one, in the kitchen. He would wait with a grin on his face until my grandmother and the cooks would start to scream and run around the kitchen. âGeorge! You come and get this thing right nowâ my otherwise gentile grandmother would holler. It was a scene that played out many times each summer, and it never lost the thrill for my father.
For Rhode Island residents, no crabbing license is necessary–just the night hours are off-limits. And make sure they are five inches from point to point. Young crabs molt every few weeks, but the adult male blue crab sheds its shell only once yearly, during the summer months, which makes it a prized special on menus through the Ocean State in May and June. And while itâs not illegal to harvest female crabs (sooks or sallys), it is more difficult to catch them during the molting phase, when they mate and the male attaches itself over her. Called âdoublers,â these two-for-one crabs get stuck in crab pots and traps, but the bottom dwellers try to stay hidden in craggy coastlines until the female grows a hard shell and moves into deeper waters to spawn. (Once the female is carrying roe, however, she is protected from harvesting in most states.) If using dredges, nets or hand lines in Rhode Island waters, there is no daily limit on quantity. If using crab pots, no more than 25 adult crabs per person per day can be harvested, but thatâs still a lot of good eatinâ for family and friends!
Whether sautĂŠing a soft-shell crab or boiling a hard-shell, Rhodies know to get âem while they last–the season is short and crabs are not as abundant in our waters as they once were. Blue crabs were once as plentiful in the Ocean State as they currently are in the Chesapeake, but years of climate change has taken a toll and decreased their numbers. Interestingly, there are reports that as blue crabs diminish, lobsters become more abundant. Whatâs the inverse relationship? Lobsters thrive in cold water whereas blue crabs donât–and with the particularly cold winter weâve had, it is yet to be seen how many blue crabs weâll have this summer. As a matter of fact, commercial fishery of blue crab is practically non-existent in RI and the LI sound, unlike further south, although crabs are not on NOAAâs endangered list.
While the blue crabâs body is an olive green, it gets its name from its claws, which are sapphire blue when raw. The femaleâs claws are tipped in red and when either are cooked, the a hard-shell crab turns red, similar to lobster. Just boil a few inches of water seasoned with a tablespoon of white vinegar and a packet of Old Bay seasoning mix, available at any supermarket, add live crabs, cover to steam for about 20 minutes and then remove to an ice bath or cold water to cool. When ready to eat, pull off the claws, flip the crab over onto its belly to strip off the shell as well as the brown spongy material (its gills)–not to be mistaken with the yellow substance inside the crab, which is an organ for filtering impurities from the crabâs blood. Called mustard, the organ is edible–and some like its distinctive taste–but it can be full of pollutants. Just discard and then pull out the meat, bit by tasty bit. The meat of the claws, on the other hand, can be pulled out in one strip. Just whack the claw with a hammer and a nice chunk of meat should be easy to pull out of the shell. Dip in lemon butter–yum!
For soft-shelled crab, we went to an expert, Chef Matthew of Gracieâs in Rhode Island. Lightly breaded and fried and served with with Hollandaise sauce, the crab was tender and buttery. Accompanied by green and white asparagus spears and potatoes in a pesto sauce, the dish was served as an appetizer but easily could have been a satisfying meal.
Hereâs a sure-fire recipe for sautĂŠed soft-shell crabs. Add your own pesto or Hollandaise for a gourmet touch or serve as-is with this garlic and white wine butter sauce:
[colored_box color=”blue”]
Sauteed Scallops
Ingredients:
⢠4 medium soft-shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry
⢠1 cup flour
⢠Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⢠2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⢠2 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
⢠1/2 cup white wine
⢠Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
⢠1 tablespoon butter
Instructions:
1. Season flour with salt and pepper and dredge crabs, shaking off excess.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium high and add oil.
3. When hot, add crabs and brown on one side about 2 minutes. Flip and brown for another 2 minutes.
4. Then flip each scallop once–only once and cook for another minute–again, only one.
5.Remove the crabs and set aside.
6. Turn down heat and add the garlic. Saute until light golden brown but not dark.
7.Deglaze the pan with white wine and add lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by about 1/2, one to two minutes, and swirl in the butter to thicken.
8.Sauce crabs immediately and serve with spring vegetables. Optional Hollandaise or pesto may be served as additional dipping sauces.
Wine Pairings:
John Callaghan of Bellevue Liquors recommends serving sau- tĂŠed soft-shell crab with a crisp white wine. To hold up to the butter and garlic of the sauce, he suggests:
⢠Pascal Jolivet Sancerre, 2012 – At about $24.99, this is a wonderfully rich wine from the Loire Valley that is a real treat with a long finish.
⢠Simi Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 – From Sonoma at about $9.99 a bottle, this California wine is a superb value that will also pair well with a pesto.
If serving with a Hollandaise sauce, John recommends:
⢠JJ Vincent Pouilly Fuisse marie Antoinette, 2012 – From France, this white Burgundy is wonderful at about $26.99 a bottle.
⢠Gloriaâs âOld Vinesâ Chardonnay, 2012 – At about $16.99, this single vine- yard chardonnay is from 39-year old vines at Mettler Ranch in California; Clean and crisp, it is reminiscent of a much more expensive white Burgundy.
âBoth of these wines have the acidity to stand up to a Hollandaise,â John says, âand will not overpower the flavors of the crab.â
[/colored_box]
