November 4, 2008
Enjoy Florida Stone Crab Claws For The Holidays
With the holidays approaching fast, now is the time to plan to make your seasonal gatherings extra special. Include a bounty of Florida stone crab claws in your holiday festivities and even the most casual get-together becomes memorable. The stone crab harvest began October 15 and claws are plentiful right now. Here are three ways to enjoy these prized delicacies with your friends and family.
First, you can bring the claws home fully cooked and ready to eat from your local seafood market or supermarket. Just crack the shells and enjoy the sweet-tasting meat dipped in melted butter or your favorite signature sauce. Second, you can dine out on stone crab claws at one of the many restaurants that feature them on their menus during the holidays. Florida locals and seasonal visitors make it a holiday tradition to enjoy these delectable morsels during the holidays. Third, you can delight those special folks on your gift list with a gift box of Florida stone crab for their holiday celebrations. Ask your favorite seafood market about sending a gift box of fresh claws by overnight delivery or you can go online to order. For a listing of Florida seafood markets and Florida companies that offer on-line or mail order seafood, go to www.FL-Seafood.com.
The majority of Florida stone crab claws are commercially harvested off the southern tip of Florida’s peninsula from Sarasota to Fort Lauderdale and in the Panhandle off the coast of St. Marks. Only the meaty claws are harvested but each claw must meet a regulated size to be taken. It is illegal to harvest a whole stone crab. The live stone crab is returned to the water once the claws are removed and will regenerate new claws in about 18 months.
The fresh claws are cooked immediately after harvest and sold either fresh-cooked or frozen in seafood markets. The fresh-cooked claws can be stored for three to four days packed in ice or in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Buy 3 to 4 claws per serving depending on size. To eat, crack the shell using a crab cracker or the back of a heavy spoon. Carefully remove the cracked shell pieces (they can be sharp) and moveable pincer, leaving the meat attached to the remaining pincer.
Now is the time to enjoy Florida stone crab as they will be in season only through May 15, 2009. Always ask for Florida stone crab claws since there are look-a-likes that do not have the same delicious taste. Only two species of stone crab -- Menippi adina and Menippi mercenaria and their hybrids -- harvested in Florida, other Gulf Coast states and the Caribbean are allowed to be labeled “stone crab.” It is illegal to label or advertise crab from Chile and Jonah crab as “stone crab.”
Try the following recipe for a special holiday treat when family and friends get together.
Stone Crab Claws with Spicy Golden Mustard Sauce
3 pounds medium Florida stone crab claws
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons half and half
Crack and remove each claw’s shell and movable pincer, leaving the meat attached to the remaining pincer. Set aside. Combine mustard, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce blending ingredients for 3 to 5 minutes. Add half and half in small amounts until the mixture has a creamy consistency. Note: Mustard sauce can be refrigerated up to 5 days. Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Value Per Serving: Calories 668, Calories From Fat 598, Total Fat 62g, Saturated Fat 10g, Trans Fatty Acid 0g, Cholesterol 76mg, Total Carbohydrate 1g, Protein 15g, Omega-3 Fatty Acid 0.06g.
For more Florida seafood recipes and information go to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing website www.FL-Seafood.com.
For more information:
Barbera Turnbull
(850) 488-0163
turnbub@doacs.state.fl.us
