Stone Crab Claws

Recently in Naples, Florida, I had the pleasure of a complete lunch of stone crab claws. I adore crabs of every make—from soft shell to king to imitation you find in California Rolls. But the stone crabs were truly a treat. It was my first time eating them, and so I learned a little about the fishery of the delicacies. As a crustacean almost extinct in the 1960s, a law was passed that stated that fisherman could only remove one claw from the crabs while harvesting them for food. The crabs tend to hang out near reefs and oyster beds and can crack an oyster shell with their fierce claws. If they are caught, their claw for the taking must measure to at least 2.75 inches, hence only ever seeing monstrous claws at a meal of stone crabs. The fisherman take only one claw because the crabs can exist with just their remaining chelae for a duration while they regenerate the one taken captive. Overall, a mindful history that ends in a delicious, simple meal.