Stone crab fever
grips Marco
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with parties for hosting
and marshmallows for toasting – no, no, not that time of year.
Stone crab season is officially underway. You can find stone crabs
from North Carolina to the Yucatan Peninsula, but they are most
sought after in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Crabbing is a seven-month season that opens on Oct. 15
and closes on May 15,”says independent crabber and Ten
Thousand Islands light tackle and fly fishing guide Capt. Stacy
Mullendore, who spends about 240 days on the water annually
Dining Out
Where to Get Stone Crabs
Snook Inn
1215 Bald Eagle Drive
Marco Island
239-394-3313
Café De Marco
244 Palm Street
Marco Island
239-394-6262
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Stan's Idle Hour
Restaurant
221 Goodland Drive W.
Goodland
239-394-3041
By Kelly Merritt
between commercial fishing and charters.“The prime rib of crab,
stone crab is less prevalent because they are harder to catch than
other crabs, have a smaller range and are only available from
October to May.”
Marco Island and the surrounding area offers many places
to enjoy a stone crab meal by car and even by boat, and many
stone crab aficionados love to make them at home. Here’s a list of
a few places to get stone crabs and how to make them on Marco
Island and around the immediate region. M
Dining In
Where to Buy Stone Crabs
Little Bar Restaurant
205 Harbor Drive, Goodland
239-394-5663
Lee Be Fish Company
350 Royal Palm Drive
Marco Island
239-389-0580
Outdoor seating, serves
lunch
Captain Brien's Seafood
and Raw Bar
599 S Collier Blvd.
Ste. 218, Marco Island
239-389-6900
Paradise Seafood
Company
721 Bald Eagle Drive
in Pelican Plaza
239-394-3686
Capri Fisheries
800-741-5569
Ships precooked stone
crabs – customers reheat
them in hot water for about
10 minutes. All shipments
arrive with mustard sauce
or cocktail sauce.
Grimm’s Stone Crab, Inc.
Everglades City
239-695-3222
Make Them at Home
How to prepare
and serve Stone Crabs
To prepare stone crab, Capt. Mullendore
suggests: “Boil them for seven minutes and put
them immediately into ice water slush, just like you
would a boiled egg,” he says. “This separates the
shell from the meat, so when you crack the shell,
it comes off nicely.”
Cocktail sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (very hot – use sparingly)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon freshly juiced lemon
Stone crab is delicious with melted butter and
lemon, but other accoutrements can include spicy
cocktail sauce, mignonette and rémoulade. Make
one of each and serve them in little mason jars
for a charming addition to an informal crab boil
or a fine dinner.
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Rémoulade
1 pinch kosher salt (do not use sea salt)
Ingredients:
1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
(do not substitute brand)
Directions
¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
(do not substitute brand)
5 stems Italian parsley, also known as flat
leaf parsley (finely chopped, include stems)
1 pinch kosher salt (do not use sea salt)
1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together.
Chill before serving.
½tablespoon horseradish
1 stem Italian parsley, also known as flat
leaf parsley (finely chopped, include stems)
1 pinch celery seed
Mix all ingredients together.
Chill before serving.
Mignonette
Ingredients:
2 teaspoon water
4 tablespoon rice vinegar
½teaspoon fresh ground pink peppercorns
2 teaspoon shallots, minced well
Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together and serve.
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