It's that time of year.......

Maryland Watermen are smiling

Soft Shell Crabs are Here!

Typical Soft Shell Serving

Soft shell crabs usually start showing up in the Chesapeake Bay during the first full moon in May. This year, the crabs were impatient and the season has begun a couple of weeks early.

In this post we'll discuss a little of the history of this seasonal treasure, how to properly clean a soft shell crab and a delicious recipe for Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Tabasco Mash Remoulade.

As I mentioned earlier, the season usually begin with the first full moon in May. That's when the water temperature is hot enough for the crabs to "sluff" or shed their outer shell. For commercial purposes, this has to  be done in a controlled environment. Crabs with soft shells are very vulnerable to prey. 

Several weeks prior to this, watermen set their traps for crabs, return to the dock and place the crabs in special holding tanks. As the crabs shed their shells, they are move to a separate tank where they are held before being shipped to market. It's a painstaking process that requires a lot of babysitting.

Or you can do it like I did when I was a kid. Grab your crab net, an old pair of tennis shoes and walk the shallow grass flats in the Chesapeake hoping to stir one up! I must say, I was pretty successful. Enjoy the crabs!

Caio,

Chef Joe

First Step in Cleaning

Cleaning the crabs are pretty easy. First, using a sharp knife, remove the face of the crab. Remember to fold the claws and legs under the crab so they don't get accidentally cut off.

Second Step

Next, turn the crab over and remove the apron. By the way, a narrow apron indicates a male crab and a wide apron indicates a female. 

 Last Step

Next, lift each tip of the tip shell and remove the lungs. The lungs are nicknamed "devil's fingers". It's a wives tale that if you eat them you will have stomach trouble. None the less, don't take a chance, remove them!

Now your crabs are ready for your favorite cooking method. My two favorite are sautéed and fried. 

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

Serves 4

Seasoned Flour:

2 cups  All Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons  Old Bay Seafood Seasoning

4 each Soft Shell Crabs, cleaned 
as needed Seasoned Flour

3  Eggs, beaten with 1 Tbl. of milk

Vegetable Oil

4 slices  Vine Ripe Tomato, 3/8" thick

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

4 cups  Baby Greens

4 Tbl. Remoulade Sauce

In a heavy gauge skillet with tall sides, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat. The oil should be roughly 1" deep. Check temperature with a thermometer. Ideally, we're looking for 350 degrees.  Adjust the heat as necessary. Dredge the crabs in seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour.  Dip the crabs in beaten eggs and allow excess to drain off. Return the crabs to the seasoned flour and coat completely.

Fry the crabs top shell down until golden and crisp, approximately 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn the crabs and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Remove them to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess grease.

Rub tomato slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a charcoal grill for 1 minute on each side

In a small mixing bowl, lightly toss the greens with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

To plate:

Place the tomato slice in the center of the plate and a small mound of dressed greens above it. Place a dollop of Remoulade sauce to the right of the tomato and drag with the back of a spoon to make a decorative swoosh. Place the crab on top of the tomato and serve immediately.  

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Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI-

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Grand Concourse, PA -

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Gandy Saloon, Pittsburg, PA

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Meriwether's, Southfield, MI  -

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River Crab, St Clair, MI -

facebook.com/RiverCrab

King of Comfort Foods....... 

Fried Chicken

There's a resurgence in the restaurant scene and that is comfort foods. The kinds of foods that make you feel good and remind you of sitting at Mom's kitchen table. Whether it be Meatloaf, Pot Pie or Chicken Fried Steak, all these dishes give us a certain amount of warmth and happiness. 

Arguably for me, the king of comfort foods is fried chicken. You will

Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken

see more and more different fried chicken dishes on restaurant menus this year.  For example, KFC just released their Memphis Fried Chicken with spicy pepper glaze.  On other menus I have seen such samples as Sweet Tea Fried Chicken with honey and lemon. My favorite comes from a micro regional cuisine in Alabama. 

The dish..... Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken. Chicken that is marinated in a cocoa cola brine, then dredged in spices and fried using a flavorful batter and seasoned flour. The end result is a piece of chicken that is unique in flavor, very juicy and suitable as a stand alone entree, salad or sandwich.  Here's my rendition of Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken.  Whip up some potato salad and Cole slaw and let the comfort begin! Oh, and don't forget the pickles. I hope you enjoy it.

Caio,

Chef Joe

Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken

Cocoa Cola Brined Chicken:

8 each Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast,

     lightly pounded to 1/4" thickness

5 cups Cocoa Cola

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

8 sprigs Fresh Thyme

5 cloves garlic, mashed with the side of a chef's knife

4 teaspoons Hot Sauce, I recommend Cajun Chef

1 teaspoon  Cayenne Pepper

Directions : Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until the salt has dissolved. Reserve

Fried Chicken Spice: 

3 teaspoons Kosher Salt 

2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika 

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 

1 1/2 teaspoons Rubbed Sage 

1/2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary

 1 teaspoon Onion Powder 
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Fried Chicken Batter:

2 cups All Purpose Flour

3 teaspoons Baking Powder

3 teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Black Pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Onion Powder

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1 each Egg

2 1/2 cups Water

Directions: in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices; blend well. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, egg and water.  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing with a wire whip. Continue mixing until a smooth batter is achieved. Reserve

Seasoned Flour:

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon Fried Chicken Spice

Directions: combine flour and spice in a mixing bowl and blend well.  Reserve

To Prepare:

1) Place the chicken breast in the brine and cover with plastic  wrap.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the chicken  to marinate for 8 hours.

2)  Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with a clean a

       paper towel.

3)  Lay the chicken on a parchment lined sheet tray. Season both

      sides of the chicken liberally with the chicken spice. Cover with 

      plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours

4)  In a large cast iron skillet, pour vegetable oil 1/3 of the way up

     the side of the skillet. Place over medium high heat and heat

      oil to 350 degrees.

5)  Working in batches, dredge the chicken breast in seasoned flour.

       Dip in the chicken batter and allow excess to drain off. Return to 

       the seasoned flour and coat completely. Gently place into the

       heated oil and cook for 6 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove

       the chicken to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken Salad

Cocoa Cola Chicken Sandwich

  

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Charley's Crab Grand Rapids, MI - facebook.com/CharleysCrabGR

Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI - facebook.com/GandyDancer

Grand Concourse, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GrandConcourse

Gandy Saloon, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GandyDancerSaloon

Meriwether's, Southfield, MI - facebook.com/Meriwethers

River Crab, St Clair, MI - facebook.com/RiverCrab

Introducing..........Veg-centric

In studying food trends for 2016, I came across an interesting notion that I feel will be an exciting change to the dining scene.

The trend is called veg-centric. The principle behind the movement is that vegetables will play a more prominent role on restaurant menus. I'm not talking about vegetarian cuisine, it's more about vegetables being presented in interesting ways. No longer will vegetables be an afterthought or simply a side dish to an entree. They will become the star of the plate with an equal role to the proteins with which they are served.

In preparation for our spring menu, we developed a few dishes that illustrate this trend.  

Crab Remoulade and garnishes

Hawaiian Poke

This is Avocado Marble.  It's a mixture of ripe Hass avocados, green onions, cilantro, fresh lime juice, extra virgin Olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. The mixture is vacuum sealed, partially frozen, the neatly cut and plated. It can be garnished with a variety of ingredients. On the left, the marble is topped with Crab Remoulade and garnishes with gaufrette potatoes. On the right, the marble is plated with Hawaiian Poke. Raw, sushi grade tuna marinated in soy, sesame oil, spices and chiles. It's garnished with wonton crisps.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make avocado marble. Give it a try and have fun with the garnishes. Hope you enjoy it!

Ciao,

Chef Joe

P.S. - Look for these dishes at one of our restaurants in the near future.

Avocado Marble

4 each Ripe Avocado, peeled, seed removed, diced 1/4"

1 cup Green Onion, sliced 1/4"

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, rough chopped

1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1)  Combine all ingredients in a stainless mixing bowl and fold with a spatula until evenly combined.

 2) Place the mixture in a heavy gauge 11" x 7" plastic bag. 

3) Wipe the opening of the bag with a clean towel.

4) Vacuum seal the bag following the manufactures instructions.

5) Using a flat sheet tray, press down on the marble to create a smooth even surface. Place in the freezer for about and hour.

6) Using a sharp knife, remove the edges of the bag, peel off the top of the bag and cut into desired shape.

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Charley's Crab Grand Rapids, MI - facebook.com/CharleysCrabGR

Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI - facebook.com/GandyDancer

Grand Concourse, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GrandConcourse

Gandy Saloon, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GandyDancerSaloon

Meriwether's, Southfield, MI - facebook.com/Meriwethers

River Crab, St Clair, MI - facebook.com/RiverCrab

'Tis the Season

 Today is October 15th and one of my favorite days of the year.  It's opening day of the Florida Stone Crab season. The weather has been really nice here and the water temperature is warm so we're not expecting a banner start to the season.

I wrote this post a while back and thought I would share it again. It's a little long but offers some fun facts and insight as to how this resource had become a multi million dollar industry.  Enjoy the season and eat some crab!

Ciao,

Chef Joe

‘Tis the season………
Stone Crab season, that is.

Stone Crab Claws

Being a long time Florida resident, I would be remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to the beautiful resource that has just become available.  In this post we will explore the history and lore of Stone Crabs, some fun facts and my absolute favorite way to serve them.

Now for a bit of history…………..

I’d like to introduce you to the “Everglades icon”, Loren G. “Totch” Brown.  Totch was born on March 12, 1920.  He lived his entire life in the area known as the Ten Thousand Islands.  Totch survived off what the Everglades had to offer as a commercial fisherman and gator hunter.

On a spring day in the late 1930’s Totch had an epiphany.  Tired of having his fishing nets tangled and ruined by these numerous, strange looking crabs, he decided to keep one.  He cooked it, ate it, and a new commercial industry was born.

He quickly met with his uncle, “Dollar” Bill.  In a matter of minutes, they devised a plan. The two worked diligently and quickly built several hundred wooden crab traps.  They set out on the water and their first haul resulted in many large burlap sacks full of crabs.

 “Dollar” Bill loaded the sacks into his truck and headed east.  His destination: a lunch counter in Miami Beach. He met with the owner, a gentleman named Joe Weiss.  Mr. Weiss purchased the crabs for forty cents a pound and put them on his menu.  That restaurant today is known as Joe’s Stone Crab.

Some fun facts about Stone Crabs……..

•         Stone Crabs have two distinctly different claws. A large one known as the crusher claw and a smaller one known as the pincer claw. The crusher claw is the only one allowed to legally be harvested.

•         Legal minimum size for a claw is 2 ½” in length, measured from the first joint. The smallest legal claw weighs about 2 ½ ounces.  The largest claw harvested on record weighed 25 pounds.

•         Once the claw is removed, the crab is returned to the water. It will grow a new legal size claw in approximately 12 to 14 months.

•         Claws are cooked as quickly as possible (many times right on the boat).  This prevents the meat from sticking to the shell.  Another reason for the meat sticking to the shell is improper freezing of the claw. Keep that in mind the next time you buy claws for the local supermarket.

How to crack a Stone Crab Claw:

1.      Hold the claw in the palm of your hand.  Using the back of a pasta spoon, sharply hit the center of the claw.  This will cause the shell to crack.  Remember, we are cracking claws not smashing them. Turn the claw over and repeat.

2.    Now, rotate the claw in the palm of you hand so as the first and second knuckle drape over your index finger.  Again with the back of the spoon, crack the first and second knuckle (of the crab………).

The best way to serve these beauties is a simple as possible.  I prefer ice cold cracked claws served in a platter over crushed ice that is garnished with a few strands of blanched seaweed.  The sauce of choice and tradition is mustard sauce.  Here’s a recipe for mustard sauce that was made famous by Joe’s Stone Crab.

Mustard Sauce Yields: 4 ¾ cups

Mayonnaise                         3 cups

Dijon Mustard                    1 ¾ cups

English Dry Mustard          1 Tbl.

Fresh Lemon Juice             2 Tbl.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the dry mustard and lemon juice; blend with a wire whip until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the mustard to “bloom” for 20 minutes. Add the Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and again, blend well with a wire whip.  Store refrigerated until ready for use.

The season only last until may 15^th so get crackin’. Let me know how they come out.

Ciao,

Chef Joe

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Charley's Crab Grand Rapids, MI - facebook.com/CharleysCrabGR

Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI - facebook.com/GandyDancer

Grand Concourse, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GrandConcourse

Gandy Saloon, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GandyDancerSaloon

Meriwether's, Southfield, MI - facebook.com/Meriwethers

River Crab, St Clair, MI - facebook.com/RiverCrab

The Flavors of Fall

Now that fall is upon as and the weather begins to cool, thoughts turn to the comfort foods of slow braised meats and hearty stews. 

At Landry's Seafood we are celebrating the season with just such dishes. One dish is quickly becoming our guest's favorite, our Bayou Fisherman's Stew. It's a tomato based seafood stew that takes on a flavor of the Gulf coast. 

The ingredients include many items indigenous to the area and the method of preparation is similar in the way that gumbo is prepared. I hope you enjoy the stew, I'm certain it's just what the doctor ordered on a chilly fall evening.

Bayou Fisherman's Stew

Ciao,

Chef Joe

Bayou Fisherman's Stew

2 Tbl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 lb. Andouille Sausage, half moon bias cut 1/4" thick

1/4 cup Flour

1 Tbl. Minced Garlic

1/2 each Yellow Onion, diced 1/4"

1 each Red Pepper, diced 1/4"

1 each Green Pepper, diced 1/4"

1 1/4 tsp. Blackening Spice

1 tsp. Dried Basil Leaves

1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano

1 cup Shrimp Stock (can substitute bottled clam juice)

1 can San Marzano Tomatoes with Juice,  hand torn into 1" pieces

1/2 cup White Wine

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

24 Black Mussels, cleaned

1 lb. Firm Flesh White Fish (such as Mahi Mahi), cut into 1 1/2" pieces

12 Large Scallops

12 Large Shrimp

1/4 lb. Crawfish Tails

1 Tbl. butter

Steamed White Rice

Crusty French Bread

1)   In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the andouille and cook until the sausage has rendered its fat, approx. 4 minutes.

2) Add the flour and stir well to make a roux.  Add the garlic and vegetables and stir well.  Cook for approx. 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add the spices, stir well and cook for one minute.

4) Add the tomatoes with juice, wine, and stock. Stir well until smooth in consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minuets while covered.

5) Add the mussels to the stew and cook for 4-5 minutes. When the mussels begin to open, add the remaining seafood, stir well, cover and cook until the seafood is cooked through and firm to the touch, approx. 5-6 minutes. Add the butter and stir until completely melted. 

6) Divide the stew and seafood between 4 large soup bowls. Serve with steamed white rice and crusty French bread for dipping. Garnish with chopped chives. 

For quick links to this blog, “LIKE” us on Facebook Landry’s Seafood facebook.com/#!/LandrysSeafood and on our Muer Facebook pages at:

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Charley's Crab Grand Rapids, MI - facebook.com/CharleysCrabGR

Gandy Dancer Ann Arbor, MI - facebook.com/GandyDancer

Grand Concourse, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GrandConcourse

Gandy Saloon, Pittsburgh, PA - facebook.com/GandyDancerSaloon

Meriwether's, Southfield, MI - facebook.com/Meriwethers

River Crab, St Clair, MI - facebook.com/RiverCrab