Meaty and sweet: stone crab claws. Photo
courtesy Del Frisco.

The stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) is the only crab harvested commercially just for its claw meat. (Here are the different types of crabs.) It is named for its extremely hard shell. Because the majority of stone crabs sold in the U.S. come from Florida*, it is often referred to as Florida stone crabs.

The claw meat is the best part of this crab: sweet and firm with a flavor and texture that is often described as a cross between its cousin, the Maryland blue crab, and lobster.

If the crab claws look intimidating, that’s because they are. They are strong enough to crack open oyster shells and other crustaceans the stone crabs eat as they traverse the ocean floor.

If you’re cooking them at home, the rule of thumb is that approximately 2.5 pounds of cooked store crab claws yields one pound of meat. If you’re buying by size, there are medium 5-8 claws per pound, 3-5 large claws, 3 jumbo claws and 1-2 and colossal claws.

While the body and leg meat is edible:

 
Stone crabs are cooked immediately upon harvest, usually dockside by the crabber or a processor. This prevents the meat from sticking to the shell. They are then sold fresh, or are immediately frozen. (For the best flavor, frozen claws should be thawed in the refrigerator.)

HOW TO SERVE STONE CRAB CLAWS

The sweet stone crab meat needs little or no embellishment. It is typically served simply: chilled with drawn butter and lemon, or with cocktail sauce, Dijon sauce, mayonnaise or vinaigrette.

But first you have to get it out of the shell! Whether enjoying stone crab at home or at a restaurant, prepare to work for your dinner. You’ll need some tools (mallet, nutcracker, pick) to get to the meat. That’s part of the fun.

 
*While they can be found as far north as Connecticut and as far south as Belize, commercial harvest takes place around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, west to the Bahamas and east to Texas. It is illegal in Florida to retain the entire stone crab; only the claws.

†The larger “crusher” claw is the one usually harvested. Either claw can regenerate three or four times over the lifetime of the crab; regeneration takes one to two years. In nature, stone crabs lose their limbs frequently when attacked by predators. Claws must be at least 2.75 inches long to be harvested and cannot be taken from egg-bearing females. Other crab species, lobster and other crustaceans can also regenerate claws, but their claw meat is not considered so spectacular as to be a food crop by itself.