How to get crabs...in a good way
"Maryland is For Crabs" is a long-lost slogan for the state of Maryland, but its message still applies. Even when they're in a good mood, enthusiasts of the state's best-known seafood treasure, the blue crab, will go to any length to procure the summer delicacy.
While Baltimore and Annapolis are well-known as places to eat crabs laid out rolled table cloths made of brown paper, wooden mallets best pound tables near the crabs' home - the Chesapeake Bay on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Perhaps crab nirvana is best achieved sitting by the waterfront in Kent Narrows or St. Michaels, Chesapeake Bay breezes surrounding you as you pull out a huge hunk of backfin meat from a jumbo crab. Heaven.
If you aren't near Maryland or are away for awhile and craving the Old Bay-spiced crustaceans, there are a few websites that can help you catch your fill.
Check the prices per dozen or per bushel and compare. The main crab season runs from June to September- outside this season crab prices will be higher, and the crabs you are getting may not be from Maryland. July and August are peak season and will yield the best prices.
Crab tips:
- Prepare containers of vinegar, melted butter and extra Old Bay seasoning for your table, which should be covered in brown paper or thickly layered newspaper. Place a roll of paper towels, crab knives, wooden mallets
- When steaming your own crabs, use a large two-part steamer pot containing water, vinegar and flat beer in equal parts to cover the bottom by a little less than an inch. Bring to a full boil. Layer crabs in pot with extra seasoning to taste. Cover the steamer and steam crabs for 15 minutes. Test a crab by cracking a claw. If the meat is hot, the crabs are done. If the meat is not hot, allow the crabs to steam for another 5 minutes and test again.
- Don't forget cold beer- it's a must-have for eating crabs.
- Crabs can be reheated in a microwave. Place a damp paper towel over them to keep them moist and cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Or warm them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Do not overheat steamed crabs- they will dry out.
How to eat the crabs is an entirely other story. Eastern Shore natives do it one way, other Marylanders another, and some people just buy the darn meat already picked- it's way more expensive that way. Try the following link for a good set of details on how to get to the meat of the matter:
http://skipjack.net/le_shore/crab/picking_index.htm
Happy cracking!
