In the event you’ve hung out in South Florida, you’ve probably come throughout stone crabs. Vivid orange claws gleam in glass circumstances at native fish markets and in heaps on restaurant tables—pre-cracked and prepared for choosing—at many seafood eateries. These crustaceans are distinctive; they’re a protected species with restricted seasonal availability, and just one claw is harvested from every critter earlier than being tossed again into the ocean to regenerate their appendages and stay one other day. Stone crab meat is nice and hearty, and it’s the proper stand-in for any recipe that requires picked crab. In lots of circumstances, the claws are greatest when adorned merely, just like oysters, with only a dipping sauce or melted butter. Exterior the Sunshine State, you’ll be able to order stone crabs on-line, shipped on ice to anyplace within the U.S.
Candy crabmeat and tender greens are simmered in a wealthy, creamy sauce, then baked beneath flaky puff pastry on this comforting dish from the legendary Miami seafood restaurant. Get the recipe >
On this Everglades basic, picked crabmeat and tender “swamp cabbage” (the native title for hearts of palm) are mixed in a batter and deep-fried till crispy and golden. Get the recipe >
Tender crabmeat and crunchy greens are wrapped in delicate pastry, fried till crisp, and paired with a punchy dipping sauce. Get the recipe >
On this recipe, the Sunshine State’s favourite crustacean is paired with a crisp cabbage-and-carrot slaw and wrapped in tender tortillas for a recent, vibrant taco that highlights the crab’s pure sweetness. Get the recipe >
This creamy, crowd-pleasing macaroni salad is lifted by a zesty native seasoning mix and crisp greens, making it an ideal dish for potlucks and bigger group gatherings. Get the recipe >
A creamy mix of mayonnaise, mustard, worcestershire, and bottled steak sauce give this famed restaurant condiment its signature savory kick. Get the recipe >
