By Kinisha O'Neill, Staff Reporter
PICK IT up with your bare hands, hold a chunk of it to your face, and crack it with your teeth. Then savagely use your mouth to tear the flesh inside. Or you can simply suck the juice out of it, and then slurp up the chunky remains. Enjoy, as the fluid drains through your fingertips, into your hands and down your forearms. Lick and wipe, lick and wipe the remainder from your face, and begin all over again!
No, it's not a description of a cannibalistic endeavour. It's a description of crab eating at its finest. And it is clear; feasts like these are not fit for those who can't appreciate messy dining, and those who don't understand the joy of putting aside the utensils and using fingers instead. It isn't a sport for the prudish, but for the adventurous. It seems though that although there aren't many crab lovers around, the population is increasing slowly but surely as Crab Nights are a growing trend at the hot spots within the Corporate Area. Crab enthusiasts are no doubt heading out to indulge themselves, despite the untidiness involved in eating this crustacean delight.
Prices of crab dishes vary, types of crab meat vary and the recipes vary among the hot crab spots around town, but there is one common denominator crabs, crabs and more crabs. Some places serve crab dishes by the plate while others promote an all-you-can-eat affair for the gluttonous. Johanna Thwaites, owner of 'Up On the Roof', a Caribbean restaurant in New Kingston, schools her crab and seafood night patrons on the 'proper' method of digging in.
Her advice "Turn the crab upside-down on its back and pull off the flap (the 'flap' is either the male or female sex organ). Then hold the crab by the body and legs and break it. This will separate the crab back from the rest of the body." Thwaites says this is when she would begin picking out the meat and eating it. But, she also says that this is the stage where the crab is sometimes seasoned and further cooked.
At 'Up On the Roof' Thwaites serves her crab the way she likes it steamed. The steaming technique the restaurant utilises is unique. It goes something like this:-
Large stones are placed in the bottom of the pot. Then beer is poured over the stones. A piece of mesh is then placed over the stones. Live crabs are then placed on the mesh and the pot covered.
According to Thwaites, this recipe yields a lovely flavoured steamed crab that is a lot less watery than the boiled version, yet even more succulent.
But what is it that makes crab so delicious anyway? One crab-lover claims to know the answer: "They say crab is full of crap, I don't know, that may be why it tastes so good to me." On the other hand, a crab-hater confesses that the 'crap' in crab is the sole reason he gave it up. "When I found out what was in it, I vowed I'd never eat it again."
This avid hater of crab may be surprised to know that some crab is virtually crap-free. According to Thwaites, blue crab or crab that lives in the sea is much less 'full' than the ones that live on land. Those who know this fact often opt for blue crab, and will go to great lengths to ensure they're getting it. Granted, there are still several other members of the crab family to be explored.
