Woohoo! Its the start of stone crab season down here in Florida! These monsterous crustaceans can only be harvested October 15 through May 15 and I will tell you they are a big deal.
They are caught by fishermen in large traps, processed and the large meaty claws are sold by the pound. My favorite fish place, Lockhart’s Seafood, has 4 sizes- medium, large, jumbo and colossal. According to the man behind the counter, mediums weigh about three ounces each (so 6 or 7 claws per pound) all the way up to the colossal which weight about a half pound each. The size you choose all depends on your application. For an impressive steamed crab cocktail, consider a colossal claw in a champagne coup of dipping sauce. I’m not a big fan of making things like crab cakes with these because the prices start at about $15 a pound for mediums and their sweet fresh meat is just too good to be mixed with breadcrumbs and mayonnaise, in my humble opinion. I’ll be using mine tomorrow to make a favorite in my husband’s family- seafood sauce with linguini! What a fabulous meal, but it is everything but refined. It derives from the annals of cooking history where you used everything and stretched a small quantity of expensive protein to feed a large family. That makes this meal a retirement budget-friendly luxury that will have you craving more (once you’re done showering to get the sauce off of your elbows).
Stay tuned for more!
Erin
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