Stone Crabs

One of my all time favorite foods is Florida stone crab. Having family in south Florida, I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy stone crab often. The stone crab thrives in the largest wetland in the United States, the Everglades. Every year from Oct 15 to May 15 fishermen are pulling these crustaceans from the waters and harvesting their large claw. The claw has to be a minimum of 2.75 cm long in order for it to be harvested. After the claw is taken off the crab is thrown back into the water and it will begin the process of regenerating a new claw. As soon as the fisherman pull the claws in they are quickly cooked to keep the meat from sticking to the shell. They then get chilled down and are ready for purchase. Stone crab can be expensive.Especially if you are getting it at a restaurant far from the source. Instead of doing the “Joe’s Crab Shack” thing in Florida we make a trip to the Everglades. There are little fisheries all around down there selling their catch. Not only is it a fraction of the price but it’s directly from the source. You can’t get much fresher than that. In terms of pairing, I prefer either a Chablis or Alsatian Riesling. All thats left is grab a claw cracker and dig in!