Growing up in the "South", near the water, and in a Jewish home has led me to have taste in food that borders on the schizophrenic. As a kid, I learned to love chopped chicken liver at family gatherings yet also watched in horror as my relatives would devour a large quantity of raw oysters (not Kosher).
My father fished and would bring home shad - not to eat the fish, but to savor the flavor of their delicate roe. It must be cooked in bacon fat to really have the best taste (yeah, pork...what can I say?). Shad run in the river in the early Spring and are long gone with their roe by now. I actually haven't had shad roe in probably the last 10 years or more.
But my most favorite of seasonal delicacies is a shelled, bottom feeder (most un-Kosher). It is the hard shelled Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab, steamed and ready to be hand-picked. If you haven't grown up eating these, it seems like a herculean task to actually break enough open to make a meal, but it is worth the effort. (Katherine may be the only one to really understand me here...)
Blue Crabs are a summer food, and I did not get to eat a single one this year. But I did spot some at the famous Lexington Market in Baltimore. I snapped a fast photo with my phone, only to realize later what a sad photo is is.
So, here's an old photo that doesn't obey the One and Only Rule of this non-competition to show what they really look like.
My uncle owned a crab and shrimp boat for a while off the coast of Georgia (during my younger years). I love both, but I remember looking into barrels of squirming crabs. No way would I put my hand in there. I also left the premises when they cooked the little guys.
ReplyDeleteBut, I love eastern coast seafood, and especially crab now.
As a kid, I used to hate it when the crabs got cooked. Now my kids won't be in the house when I cook them.
DeleteI'm amazed that we've had three photos of blue crab posted so far in today's non-competition. They are really tasty, though, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
ReplyDeleteWhat really does surprise me is the shad roe/bacon fat concoction that you like. I'd have to try it, very gingerly, before I could render an honest opinion, but it sounds horrible. Disgusting, even.
I was cracking up over all of the crab entries!
DeleteNow if you want, I'll treat you to some shad roe if you come my way around march/April. It's only around 18 to 22 dollars a set. The southern version of fine caviar.
Okay, now I'm hungry, but you did make me laugh. I'm a bad Jew, too. Have you ever had Crawfish? I don't think I've ever had Bay Blue Crab.
ReplyDeleteI love crayfish. Wrote a blog post about them once. I have a friend from Louisiana who has them shipped here so they can boil them at home.
DeleteThat was a song ways't it? Shad-roe Meshach Abednego?
ReplyDeleteIt ain't hot in the crab pot, man this crab pot is cool.
DeleteI haven't known that blue crabs are so popular in this season in North America. I will check about this crab and thank you for sharing your great photo!
ReplyDeleteCoco, you only really see them on the East Coast. The West coast gets King crab which is also very yummy.
DeleteI love most any seafood too!
ReplyDeleteIt is best when we catch it ourselves, but I'll eat most of it with no problem....except slimey oysters.
DeleteI have never cooked crab. I've cooked crab legs, but never the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteBlue crab is different than king crab legs, but both taste great!
DeleteI don't think I've ever had crab, but I absolutely love crayfish, and it can't be that different, right?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely different, Ziva.
DeleteI don't believe you, you like cheese and coffee.
DeleteA lot of people cook them with the same spices, so that flavor carries, but crabmeat tastes different than crayfish (mud bugs).
DeleteBlue crab is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteBlue crab again! Love it! I love anything that's a vessel for butter!
ReplyDeleteI love it too much to dunk it in butter!
DeleteOh my word!! Yes please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteC'mon down and bring a bacon cheeseburger with you.
Deletenever heard of blue crabs, but i'm not much of a seafood lover, so i don't know anything about crabs.
ReplyDeleteThat's ok. More for me!
DeleteGotta break the rules for blue crabs ;)....In November we have what we call the "Stone Crab Jam Festival" which is awesome...stone crabs are great also. I totally agree...a lot of work...but so worth the trouble ;).... hope you get to enjoy some next summer.
ReplyDeleteMe too! We like to catch and cook our own, but I'll gladly take some that somebody else labored over!
DeleteI was going to make a comment about so many participants and their crabs, but then I decided not to. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think I'd make a good Jew. I don't like shellfish. Although I do like crab cakes. And bacon. And cheeseburgers. So maybe not such a good Jew after all.
Then there is the extra kosher bacon cheeseburger. Yumm
DeleteBlue crabs seem to be the biggest hit today. I keep trying to like shellfish, seafood, and freshwater fish but I simply can't stand any of them. I keep trying but it never works. Living in NE, I fully understand how hard it is to crack shellfish open. While I don't eat any of it, I do help with the shucking at cook-outs.
ReplyDeleteYou are a good sport to work for the food and not eat it- better woman than me!
DeleteOH YES I DO!!!!! We need to eat a bushel together with our friends and family!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave you had fried HARDSHELL crab? There is a place here in Norfolk where they take two crabs and hook them together. Then they dip in batter and deep fry. Oh my goodness. You pick the crab, and grab a bit of the batter as you eat the crab meat. YUM!
I've had fried soft shell, but hard shell? That is just hard to imagine. What restaurant is it? Maybe it's worth a trip from va beach!
ReplyDeletecrabs.... yes!!!!!!
ReplyDelete