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The Crab Pots of Summer
Edible Chesapeake Spring 2005
by John Shields
With the passing of winter's last frost,
and a hint of coming warmth just barely perceptible, the crab pot season of the Chesapeake begins. Bay watermen are winding-up their oyster season as the ubiquitous crab pots make their way from winter storage.
The birdcage-esque cubes constructed of mesh-wire are contraptions designed to lure unsuspecting blue crabs into its inner sanctum. Beginning in late-March and early April when the briny waters begin to warm, Bay watermen start the process of meticulously repairing the pots from the previous year. As the crabbing season switches into high gear the Bay Captn's will; check the pots, claim their catch, and then re-bait the pots on a daily basis. The crabs are then sorted for size, and if identified as "peelers", wind up in floats to wait the shedding of their shells - emerging as soft-shells. The bulk of the crab catch ends up in packinghouses where they are steamed and hand picked, with the succulent meat graded and packed into containers - ready for market.
The heavy number one jimmy crabs generally are loaded into bushel baskets and make their way to crab houses, seafood markets, or roadside stands where they are sold for steaming. These crab-feast-worthy scrappers are about to enter the second crab pot of summer. The family crab pot is often a well-worn heavy metal pot that, if it could talk, would have stories to tell. That's what crab feasts are all about - either telling stories, or if enough beer is consumed, becoming new stories.
It seems guys enjoy the duty of operating the crab pot - the Chesapeake equivalent of an outdoor grill. Every crab house or civilian backyard steamer has their own unique method of steaming, seasoning, and serving up a crab feast. A friend of mine, Buck Rabuck, who has done-in his fair share of hard crabs - that's a lot of crabs, believe me - is the king of backyard crab feasts. Buck shies away from traditional Old Bay seasoning, preferring to make his own blend for his signature Dundalk backyard feasts. Nor does Buck operate a dull, run-of-the-mill crab pot. Crab feast variety is his spice of life. Along with layers of seasoned crabs Buck adds corn-on-the cob, sausageáand even some chicken wings to the pot. It's a Chesapeake-style version of the famous Carolina low-country classic Frogmore Stew - made with shrimp as opposed to crab. In retrospect I wish Buck had been around for my childhood crab feasts, as that corn, steamed with the crabs is good!
I love a crab feast as much as the next guy but the last number of years has seen a great deal of stress on the crab population. A few folks I know boycott crabs and just eat a whole lot more peel-and-eat shrimp. But for me summer is just not summer without a crab feast. So my "save-the-crab" technique is to scale back summer feasts from my usual three to four extravaganzas to two per season. I always enjoy an early summer feast to get me in the mood for the hot humid weather ahead - and then - a late summer (mid to late September) when the crabs are nice and heavy (and a bit less expensive) to hold me through the winter.
Many are the techniques for steaming crabs, but I learned a nifty trick from Leo Devine, who operates Gunning's Crab House on South Hanover St. in the Brooklyn section of Baltimore. Just before putting the rather rambunctious crustaceans into the steaming crab pot, Leo slips them into an ice water bath briefly, and then into the pot. This is a twofold help in the crab cooking process - oneá it calms the crabs down a bit making them easier to handle - and twoá the seasonings will stick to the crabs as they cook and won't fall off before serving. Seasoning sticking to the crab is important.
Here is my family recipe for steamed crabs - without corn, sausage etc. - but by all means try adding a little of whatever you like to create your own signature crab feast. I know I'll be trying the corn this summer.
Backyard Steamed Crabs
2/3 cup Chesapeake Bay seasonings
4 tablespoons coarse kosher-style salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 bottles (12-ounces each) beer, allowed to go flat
2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 dozen live blue crabs
Mix the Chesapeake seasonings, salt and pepper together.
Pour the beer and vinegar into a large pot with a raised rack (about 2 ü to 3-inches above the bottom). Bring to a boil.
In a large tub make an ice bath and momentarily place crabs into the cold water. Remove with tongs and arrange the crabs in layers in the pot, coasting each layer with the seasoning mixture. Tightly cover the pot and steam for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crabs turn bright red.
No platters are necessary for serving. Just dump the crabs unceremoniously on a newspaper covered table and go-to-town!
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