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A Taste of the Season

© Richard T Curtin

The cooler weather has arrived and with it comes two great treats. In Florida, October 15 begins the six months of stone crab season. Stone crabs are harvested from October 15 to May 15. The crabs are caught in traps, the claws are removed and the crab is returned live to regenerate new claws. Stone crabs are a renewable resource. After they are released they return to the bottom, it takes about 1 year to grow a new claw. The crabs have a hard orange and white shell and large black tipped claws filled with a rich, sweet, firm- textured meat. The meat is similar to lobster but is a bit firmer and I think more flavorful. The claw shells are very hard and need to be cracked with a mallet but the sweet, succulent meat is well worth the effort.

After boiling the claws they can be eaten hot or cold in a seafood salad. I prefer them warm, with mustard sauce or a good seafood chili sauce. If you can't find stone crab claws in your area they are available at various seafood outlets online. The sizes usually range from medium (6-7 claws @ $11, per pound), large (4-5 claws @ $16 per pound) and jumbo (2-3 claws @ $20 per pound).

The second great arrivals of the year are the winter/holiday beers that are starting to emerge. These "seasonal" brews should be on every beer drinkers Christmas wish list. This is the time when brewers get a little more creative, using various spices, more hops and producing higher alcohol brews that warm the cockles.

The first winter brew I've had the pleasure to sample this season is The Redhook Brewery's Winterhook Winter Ale . This rich, hearty, ruby colored ale gets its delicious flavor from a combination of three different malts: Carmel, chocolate malt and a custom kilned 2- row barley. Winterhook has a malty aroma. A medium body gives way to a rich, malty flavor profile. There is slight hop bitterness present. The hops are a nice complement to the toasty barley flavors. The beer is hearty and will go nicely with a large holiday feast but it's also versatile enough to pair up well with the stone crabs and honey mustard sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup of Dijon or stone ground mustard

1/2 cup of honey

1 teaspoon of tarragon

2 tablespoons of white wine or rice vinegar

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