Baltimore Chef's Table by Kathy Patterson & NEAL PATTERSON

Author:Kathy Patterson & NEAL PATTERSON
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493010530
Publisher: Lyons Press
Published: 2014-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BLUE CRAB

Maryland is for crabs, or so the T-shirt says. And there's only one kind of crab that will pass muster in this state: the blue crab, or Callinectes sapidus. The moist meat from these “beautiful swimmers” has a unique savory sweetness that makes Maryland crab soup and crab cakes a year-round delicacy.

Blue crabs are native along the Atlantic coast of North and South America and in the Gulf of Mexico, but their most famous home is the Chesapeake Bay. Indeed, the town of Crisfield, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake, is known as the “crab capital of the world.” The Chesapeake's crab population is in decline, however, because of years of water pollution and soil runoff from local development. Never fear! Crab fishery management programs have set standards for harvest, and currently the population is sustainable. Nevertheless, those hard crabs you're thinking about eating this weekend are likely to have come from Louisiana or North Carolina, which have more robust supplies of the beloved crustacean.

The crab recipes in this book are meant to be made with blue crab, from Maryland, if you can get it. Be aware when you're shopping for crabmeat that genuine blue crab is expensive, running $25 per pound or more. That $10 bargain crab at the local grocery store seems like a real deal, but if you look closely at the container, you won't see the word “blue” on it anywhere. Oh sure, you can still use it to make whatever crab dishes suit your fancy, but it won't be as flavorful, as sweet, as “crabby” as real blue crab.

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