Stone Crab Claws

The Beginning of the Affair:

We started this Christmas season with a champagne & stone crab brunch. Stone crab claws are a little on the pricey side this far North, but the meat is so incredibly delicious that they are a worthy treat. Also, because we always try to be mindful of the environmental impact of the seafood we buy, it is noteworthy that the claws of the stone crab are a renewable resource: fishermen cull the claws and toss the rest of the crab back(they regrow in 12 to 18 months).

Stone crab season in Florida runs from Oct 15th to April 15th, but we can only get them in the store during the first three weeks of December.

Hammer Der Götter (hammer of the gods):

While setting the table, we lightly steamed the claws and prepared drawn butter. Once seated, we used a heavy stone mortar and pestle to crack the claws--an improvisation that turned out to be superior to the originally intended crackers (lost in our recent move). We draped a clean kitchen cloth loosely over the whole pestle-- with one claw in it at a time-- and gave the pincher a good decisive knock. True to their name, stone crabs have an extraordinarily thick shell. Glassy and jewel-like, they yield the sweetest, tenderest, crab meat imaginable. Stone crab season is now duly noted in our calendar.

Along with the champagne we had fresh raspberries and kiwi with homemade whipped cream. A light and colorful accompaniment, it also added a little sour.

Digestive:

Since our fishmonger told us that most fishermen only clip one claw from each crab and our cookbook indicated that two can be taken, we decided to do a little research. It turns out that while taking two claws is legal, responsible fishermen harvest only one claw per crab. Because the crab will regrow a claw faster if it still has one, not harvesting both more quickly replenishes the supply. Read: we sure hope the renewable hype is true.