[Sca-cooks] period crab recipes

[Terry Decker]

> On Jun 18, 2006, at 11:45 AM, Terry Decker wrote:
>
>> The chief difference appears to be
>> that the Blue Swimmer is served as a hardshell crab, while the
>> Chesapeake
>> Blue is most often served as softshell.
>
> Have you got any more info on this? It seems to me that the softshell
> season is relatively short, and possibly no more than 25% of the
> overall crabbing season. That, combined with the availability of lump
> and/or backfin crabmeat from blue crabs, plus the popularity of
> hardshell forms for steaming and in various Asian cuisines, makes me
> wonder if this is a conclusion that is easier to draw in Oklahoma
> than in Maryland or other MidAtlantic states.
>
> Softshells _do_ travel pretty well, suitably packed...
>
> Adamantius

It's difficult to draw any conclusions on crab in Oklahoma other than from 
the zoological references.  I think the last time I saw blue crab on the 
menu around here was about 20 years ago before Herman's closed.  King crab 
is the most commonly available locally, and, considering the prices, most 
people make do with fake crab meat.

A quick check of the Blue Crab entry in Alan Davidson's Oxford Companion to 
Food provides a little more information than my notes on the subject. 
According to the entry softshell crabs can't be caught.  They need to be 
caught before they molt and held until they do molt.  Considering the 
additional effort involved, softshell crab should command a premium (wonder 
what the hardshell/softshell production data from Chesapeake Bay looks 
like).  This of course doesn't rule out their use as hardshell crab, so I 
bow to your practical knowledge of the subject.

According to a couple of sources, it is common to serve Blue Swimmers on 
their own carapaces and I've seen no references to softshell recipes from 
Oz.  I suspect that the local fishing regs may limit the possibility of 
softshell, but I haven't gone looking to verify that suspicion (hey, Drakey, 
what about softshell crab down under), nor to I have a thorough reference on 
the biological cycles of Blue Swimmers (maybe they have a shorter hardening 
time).

Bear