Big Sky Country is famous for many things but not seafood. Fresh seafood must be shipped in which means it may not be quite as fresh. Montana is full of pioneers that came from other places. Those places were full of tasty memories.
Maine has its Lobsters, Alaska has its halibut and salmon, Florida has their shrimp, and Maryland has their oysters and Blue Crabs. Steamed crabs are what I miss most as a Maryland to Montana transplant. The closest saltwater to Montana is states away. If there were blue crabs in Canyon Ferry, I would be crabbing every week. But alas, no seafood is home to Montana.
We try to get our annual crab fix by ordering them from Vinces Crabs, in Middle River Maryland. It was near where we lived and purchased crabs years ago. I was even the VP of a Crab Shack business for a while. Crabs are my annual Birthday present, that I get to share with family and friends. Fall is the best season to get your Crab Feast ON!!
Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs are the BEST! Some folks look at them and have no clue how to eat and pick them. To some they look like red hot spiders. For true crab lovers they smell and look like heaven. The Old Bay spice turns Blue Crabs red. A decent sized crab is called a #1 Jimmy.
Blue Crabs are not cheap. They can be shipped overnight to your doorstep. We ordered a bushel of steamed crabs. They came in a Styrofoam box marked “Perishable”. To heat them up, I put them in a big steaming pot. A wire deck in the pot keeps the crabs from soaking in 2 inches of water. I simply boil the water and steam the crabs for 10 minutes. Now I have HOT STEAMED CRABS!
The crab shack is running a Fall special which includes FREE SHIPPING! I had them add a half dozen frozen soft crabs to the box. All came delivered perfectly.
During our family crab feast each eater can consume 4-6 crabs, some hot French Bread and butter along with steamed sweet corn rounded out the meal. Ice Cream with Brownies tops off the meal. There is still enough crabs to pick during Sundays Football game. Next, I used a picked pound of meat to make a pot of crab soup and had 3 more pounds of picked meat to put in the freezer for later. That’s several meals.
Heck, if you take the family to a Birthday restaurant dinner, it will cost way more for just one meal with maybe a doggie bag.
PICKIN and GRINNIN!!!
Montana Grant
