Seasonal Feast

     My first research project on my culinary investigation of the dietary habits of those living by the water's edge occurred at The Rustic Inn Crabhouse in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Happily acknowledging that the Florida Stone Crab was in season I ordered up a plateful of the crustacean's claws for examination.

     Menippe Mercenaria thrive in the waters along the eastern coast of the United States and can be found from Connecticut to Belize and into the Gulf of Mexico.  They are brownish red with grey spots and characteristic disproportionately large claws that have black tips and make up half the body weight of the crab.  Those claws can exert extreme pressure, up to 19,000 pounds per square inch!  In the food chain stone crabs eat oysters, other small mollusks and occasionally carrion and sea grass.  And in turn they are eaten by the horse conch, grouper, sea turtles, octopus, and of course, humans.



     Stone crabs are in season from October 15 to May 15 and during that time only one claw of the male can be removed.  Egg bearing females are not permitted to be declawed.  The crab will then grow a new claw that will reach legal size for harvesting in 12 to 24 months.

     The claws are considered a delicacy and are commonly served cracked and chilled with a squeeze of lemon or lime or dipped in melted butter after being steamed.  My research confirmed those reports!