Outdoor Entertaining: What’s Endless Summer Without a Crab-Picking Feast?
How is it that September is upon us and I have yet to have a crab feast? Fortunately, crabs don’t finish their summer season on Labor Day because our summer cannot officially end without an afternoon of sitting around a newspaper-lined table piled with well-seasoned Number Ones. Frosted mugs of beer, some crusty garlic bread, Jersey tomatoes and cucumbers, and a couple dozen ears of corn are all we need for a good, old-fashioned crab-picking feast with family and friends. There’s nothing that quite compares to the experience, especially if you’ve got your technique down; but fear not, novices, you can learn, too. With a few instructions for steaming the perfect batch along with the right equipment and company to make the picking rewarding, there is still time to honor Summer 2017 with an outdoor dining event to remember.
Crab feast is one party where the main menu item really is the star of the show, and because the conversation and storytelling are as crucial to the success of the experience as the crabs, be sure to include on the guest list at least a few “seasoned” crab-picking storytellers who are prepared to spend the afternoon getting messy. Of course, including a few beginners, especially the kids, is also necessary; after all, they’re our only hope for the crab feast’s future!
Décor for this event is easy. A couple of picnic tables covered with newspaper or craft paper works best. If you invest in a roll of craft paper, you can keep kids busy beforehand suggesting they decorate it with stamps or crayons. I like to use a few layers of paper in case a mid-meal cleanup is necessary – just remove one layer and toss it and the discarded shells in the trash. A couple of rolls of paper towels are essential, too, for the occasional hand wiping, because someone needs to refill the frosted mugs. If you want to add a special touch, offer warm, wet washcloths for messy hands when the picking is over. Just buy a bundle of inexpensive washcloths specifically for this purpose. Earlier in the day, roll the washcloths and arrange them on a microwavable platter. When you are ready for them, wet the towels, add some freshly squeezed lemon juice and place them in the microwave for 40 to 60 seconds. The lemon cleans and helps remove odors. For those who are not beer drinkers, the crab-feast drink of choice for the adult, purchase some small bottles of sparkling water and place each unopened inside large mason jars along with a pretty straw. Arrange them on a tray or scatter them around the table. Now you’re ready for the crabs.
BUYING THE CRABS: Of course, we are talking about blue claws. Generally, they are categorized by size. Number ones will be the largest available that day – generally about 5 to 6 inches or more across. There will be roughly four or five dozen in a bushel, but this varies. Number twos will be smaller and cheaper; you’ll get five or six dozen in a bushel. Anything less than a number two is just not worth your picking trouble, so don’t get anything less than number twos, even if the price is enticing. Now let’s address the dilemma of store-steamed or home-steamed. The temptation will be to get the crabs pre-steamed and seasoned. If you truly are a novice or preparation space is limited, you can do this, but if it is at all possible, steam them yourself. Be sure to keep them on ice for transporting, keeping them as cold as possible until steaming. Most important, only steam a live crab. Any that are not moving before steaming should be discarded.
STEAMING THE CRABS: A steaming pot is essential to keep crabs from being immersed in liquid, which makes the meat soggy. Water works fine but some people like to use beer for steaming. For seasoning, you must use Old Bay. This is so much a part of the experience that it cannot be omitted. If you live anywhere from Maryland to New Jersey, you probably use it on everything all summer anyway – so stock up.
Add 2 inches of water or a light beer to a steam pot and place the steam rack inside the pot, being sure the liquid does not cover the rack. Turn the burner on high to get your steaming liquid boiling. Using tongs, place your first layer of three to four crabs, belly side down, on the steam rack, covering them generously with Old Bay. (Be prepared for some fight from these guys. If you don’t end up with at least one scrambling across the floor, you’re already a pro.) Do the same with the next, repeating the seasoning process. Be sure not to overcrowd each layer or the pot in general. Once you’ve got all the crabs in position, place on the lid.
Timing varies so keep a close eye on the pot. Check them after 10 minutes. As soon as they turn a uniform red color, they are done. Remove them and return the steaming liquid to a boil, adding more crabs and repeating the process until all are steamed and red.
SERVING THE CRABS: The rest of the preparation is often debated. Some like to remove the top shell from the crab, scrape the inedible parts and rinse the whole batch before serving. This make the eating process much more pleasant, but also washes away some of the flavor. If you choose to go this route, place a teaspoon turned bowl-side down at the base of the shell and just pop it off. If you scrape and rinse, you’ll need to sprinkle with Old Bay again. Crab purists refer to this process as white-washing the crabs and they prefer to do all the prep on each crab as it is cracked and picked at the table. I often wonder if those preferring to do the crab cleaning at the table really just want to prolong the fun, but either way works for me! As far as tools required for picking, you really only need the teaspoon for the shell and some seafood shell crackers or even nutcrackers for cracking the claws. Some of the best pickers use an uncracked claw to pop the outer shell and don’t even need the spoon, and some of the masterful pickers actually break the claws with just their hands – better keep a box of bandages nearby for the occasional mishap. Condiments are optional, but I like to offer some melted butter and small bowls of additional Old Bay, then let the picking begin.
I must confess, because I often tire of picking before my belly is full, I do offer a few additional menu items. Just be sure to let the serious picking go on for about an hour or so before introducing the rest of the menu. Crusty garlic bread, corn on the cob and a salad are sufficient accompaniments. This late-summer crab feast is a perfect opportunity to use the last of my garden’s summer bounty, so let’s serve a refreshing cucumber-tomato salad with an olive oil and fresh herb dressing. Garlic bread can be prepared ahead of time using crusty baguettes with ample butter, fresh chopped garlic and herbs. Ears of corn can be broken into halves and need only be buttered and lightly salted and peppered. Serve the corn pre-prepared like this so that guests can dig in without worrying about messy hands.
When the picking ends as the last of the crabs is stripped clean, remove the cups, bowls and tools, fold up the last layer of shell-covered paper and throw it all away. Don’t forget to offer the warm, wet washcloths for guest cleanup. Finally, for some cool sweetness, present a big tray of summer’s quintessential dessert, watermelon. Cut it in wedges and served on popsicle sticks, It’s the perfect antidote for Old Bay overload.
Well, we were a little late getting to it, but maybe an end of summer crab feast could just become a new tradition, It’s the perfect way to pay tribute to a fun-filled summer and ease us into a new season of entertaining. Now with visions of fire pits and crockpots dancing in our heads, we say so long to Old Bay and hello to pumpkin spice!
Cucumber-Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
8 ounces (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 medium seedless cucumber, sliced and quartered
¼ red onion, diced or very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 ounces (¼ cup) feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and oregano in a serving bowl. Pour over olive oil and red wine vinegar, gently toss to coat and evenly distribute ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper; sprinkle with feta cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Double-Garlic Herb Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
16-ounce French baguette, cut in half lengthwise
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread in half horizontally. Using the back of a spoon, mix the softened butter, chopped garlic and garlic powder, herbs and parsley in a small bowl.
Spread the butter mixture evenly over each half of bread. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Set the oven on broil, and allow the loaves to broil on high for 1-2 minutes or until the tops are toasty.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes and slice into 2-inich thick slices.
