HOW TO CATCH, CLEAN & COOK CAPE SAN BLAS SEAFOOD
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Jump to your favorites by clicking the hyperlinks below:
OYSTERS: BLUE CRABS: SCALLOPS: SHRIMP:
Shucking Oysters Catching Blue Crabs Catching Scallops Shrimp Recipes
Grilling Oysters Steaming Blue Crabs Cleaning Scallops
"Picking" and Eating Blue Crabs Scallop Recipes
OYSTERS
You can't harvest your own oysters unless you want to go out with somebody like Book Me a Charter owners, Sandy and Dwayne Allen, who also happen to own an Apalachicola oyster operation. However, you can find great oysters in a variety of places listed on our Local Information Page, like 13 Mile.
HOW TO SHUCK OYSTERS
Once you've gotten your oysters, the first step is shucking them. Here's How:
1. Ensure the oysters are alive by checking that the shells are closed tightly.
2. Scrub oyster shells well with a brush and rinse thoroughly.
3. Using heavy gloves, position the oyster so the cup side is down (the curved side faces into your hand, and the flatter side faces up). If you don't have gloves (which I wouldn't personally recommend) you can wrap a rag or old towel around the oyster to help protect your hand when shucking, but gloves are vastly superior and if you want to shuck, go buy some!
4. Insert knife into the seam between the shells, near the hinge. Twist or "roll" the knife to separate.
5. Use the knife to cut the meat from the top shell, and discard the top.
6. Holding bottom shell over a bowl (if you want to preserve the liquid), use knife to separate meat from bottom shell.
7. Serve either on the half-shell, or remove meat to bowl.
Tips:
1. The colder the oyster is, the easier it is to open, so ice them down well before beginning.
2. To eat raw - garnish with lemon, hot sauce or cocktail sauce, and eat on a saltine cracker ..or just slurp 'em!
3. See our grilled oyster recipe below if you prefer them cooked!
4. Shellfish can be very susceptible to marine pollutants.
5. Ensure the oysters originated in a body of water that is free of pollution or other hazards.
6. Always buy them from a reliable Apalachicola Bay source and be sure to keep them cold until cooking or eating.
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HOW TO GRILL OYSTERS
Great Grilled Oysters
1.Shuck enough oysters to at least get started. We grill about 12 to 16 at a time.
2.Put them on a cookie sheet on the half shell. (be sure your shucker has released the oyster from the shell, though. if not, you can't eat them without cutting them free later.)
3. Put a small amount of "squeeze parkay" on each oyster
4. Sprinkle each oyster with garlic powder
5. Cover each oyster with shredded parmesan cheese
6. Heat grill to medium high heat.
7. Cover grill racks with foil
8. Place oysters in shells on the foil
9. Replace grill cover and cook until done
10. Remove and serve with saltines and your favorite hot sauce -- Ed's Red (my favorite, Ed's XX), Crystal, etc.
IF YOU PREFER TO BUY YOUR OYSTERS ALREADY SHUCKED you can prepare this same recipe in the oven.
1. I buy and use disposable muffin tins (no cleanup!) and place one oyster in each space in the tin. If you don't have disposable ones, of course you can use regular tins.
2. Follow Steps 3 through 5 for preparation for the grill, above.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Once to temperature, place your tins of oysters in the oven. Position the racks so you can bake four dozen at a time.
4. Bake until cheese melts and begins to slightly brown. About 7 minutes, depending on size of oysters.
(You can jazz the oysters up by adding a jalapeño pepper slice to each, additional spices like onion powder, parsley, etc., add soy sauce -- whatever sounds good to you.)
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BLUE CRABS
HOW TO CATCH BLUE CRABS:
***From the link below on Florida rules, "A Florida recreational fishing license is required to harvest blue crabs under the recreational fishing regulations. Be sure to read all the rules at the link before you set out to crab! ***
1. HAND LINE: An easy and cheap way to bring a blue crab to shore is with a hand line. From a pier or bridge or even out on a boat, simply tie bait to a line and lower it slowly into the water. The line can be a piece of string or fishing line, anchored by a small weight, long enough to reach the bottom. A favorite bait for many hand liners is chicken necks. Other effective bait foods include salted eel or fish heads. When the line tenses from a nibble, raise the line slowly to the surface, trying not to scare the hungry crab. Any crabs clinging to the end of the line can be scooped into a net before the crab clears the water. Hand lines, dip nets, baits and coolers are available in any area bait shop, like Scallop Cove on the Cape or in town. You are permitted 10 gallons of whole blue crabs per day per person. Be sure to click on the link below to read all the laws before you head out to crab!
2. DIP NET: For those who prefer a more active approach to catching a blue crab, forget about the hand line and just venture into the water with the dip net. Wade into the water and net crabs that are swimming past. This technique requires a bit more skill and practice than dropping a crab line, but we understand there are some of you out there who just can't sit still so this method may be preferable for you, even if it is harder to master. You can also use the dip net technique from a boat.
3. CRAB TRAPS: Many blue crabs also fall prey to the crab trap. Collapsible crab traps, available in most bait shops, are lowered from a dock or boat with a sturdy line. Inside is a piece of bait fastened to the bottom. When a foraging blue crab goes in for a quick meal, pull the string and the trap closes. The advantage of the trap is in the pulling to the surface as the crab cannot swim away as with the hand line. If you find somebody else's traps, never take another person's catch! There are limits on the number of traps you can have. Please check out the link below to be sure you follow the laws!
4. AFTER THE CATCH: Be careful with your bounty when you are bringing your blue crabs to shore. Those claws are powerful weapons and you will be dealing with crabs who are NOT in a good mood and quite desperate to get away from you if at all possible. A crab pinch can leave a nasty puncture or bruise and hurts like the dickens. If you must handle the crabs, hold them by one or both of the swimming fins and be careful not to let your fingers extend too far under the crab since it can reach back a long way under its shell and pinch you that way as well.
FLORIDA RULES ON BLUE CRAB TRAPPING: CLICK HERE to read the rules about limits, taking females, etc.
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HOW TO STEAM BLUE CRABS:
What you need:
Extra large steaming pot with insert and lid. If you don't have an insert, anything you can use to get the crabs up off the floor of the pot will work, like a small wire rack or even balls of tin foil.
A pair of extra-long tongs and/or heavy rubber gloves (to handle the live crabs and keep all your fingers intact!)
Ingredients:
6 live large male crabs
Old Bay Crab Seasoning
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups flat beer or water.
Fill the bottom of the steam pot with the liquid, just up to the holes in the bottom of the steam insert. Add more water or beer if needed. (Hint: If your chef is prone to "taste test" the beer, keep an eye on them.)
Bring the liquid to a boil. Layer crabs in the pot. This may sound easier than it is. The crabs actually don't willingly go into the pot as a rule. We do not advise undertaking this step of the cooking process barefoot. Any renegade crabs who escape to the floor will not be feeling particularly friendly toward you or your toes. Keep curious children, dogs, and adults a safe distance from crabs as they're transferred to the pot to avoid pinched noses.
Generously sprinkle each crab, or layer of crabs, with the seasoning as you put them in the pot. Cover and steam for approximately 15 minutes. A done crab, like a done lobster, turns bright red.
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HOW TO PICK (NOT AS IN SELECT, BUT DISMANTLE FOR EATING) A BLUE CRAB
HINTS: Don't rub your eyes until you have thoroughly washed your hands! Put down newspaper before beginning. If you have an outdoor picnic table and the weather's good, best to pick your crabs there!
Picking and eating crabs is one of the few situations where grown adults are encouraged to wear a bib, eat with their hands, get food on the table, pound on the table, throw their leftovers in a pile, and in general make a mess while having a good time. How cool is that?
1. Remove the front claws and set them aside for later.
2. Pull off the rest of the legs. If any crab meat pulls off with them, eat and enjoy.
3. Open the apron, which is a t-shaped tab located on the underbelly of the crab. Pull it up and break it off.
4. Once the apron is broken off, you should be able to easily insert your thumb there and remove the hard shell off the top of the crab.
5. Clean out the crab. Scrape out and discard anything that does not look like you'd want to eat it (the yellow "mustard" and the lungs, which are white and finger-like.)
6. Break the crab in half by grabbing it in both hands and snapping it in half to expose the sweet crab meat.
7. Crab meat will be found in all the little nooks and crannies within the crab. Don't leave any of these tasty morsels behind!
8. Use a mallet to crack the claws and enjoy the claw meat last.
9. Select your next crab and start over at Step 1 until you're full or all the crabs are gone!!
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SCALLOPS
HOW TO HARVEST SCALLOPS
St. Joe Bay offers up some of the finest bay scallops you can find anywhere! Here's some tips and pointers to get you started on your scalloping adventures! Gulf County is one of only five counties where scalloping is permitted, and our scallops are prized just as highly as our wonderful Apalachicola Bay oysters!
1. Scallop season runs from July 1 to September 10th.
2. Florida Saltwater Fishing License is required. Click here to read more about the laws and limits.
3. Dive Flags must be used to mark the area where scallopers are hunting and each boat must have enough life jackets on board for each passenger.
4. Recreational harvesters (that's you) are limited to two gallons of bay scallops in the shell or 1 pint of scallop meats per person.
5. There is a limit of 10 gallons of whole scallops or 12 gallon of scallop meat per boat at any time.
6. You'll need a snorkel and mask and a mesh dive bag to carry your bounty in. Dive gloves are nice to have but not mandatory.
Look for scallops in the grassy beds of the bay. Edges of old propeller scars are often favorite hiding places for them. Once you see a few scallops on top of the sea grasses in an area, drop anchor, put up your dive flag, don your snorkel and mask and go after them! Scallops are also easier to find when the sun is shining high overhead. If you're a rookie, do what we did the first time -- look for a bunch of other boats with dive flags out and go try your luck in their vicinity! Be sure to keep an eye on the tides in the bay, though, or you'll find yourself high and dry and walking the boat back to Eagle Point (been there, done that). If you don't have a boat or don't want to rent one, you can rent a kayak from Scallop Cove or even just wade out into the bay and look for scallops on foot. I'd sure recommend dive booties if you're walking around the bay, though, because the bottom can be pretty muddy in spots. When brought to the boat, scallops should be immediately placed on ice in a cooler for the trip to shore unless it's decided to clean the scallops while on the water. Scallops are quite sensitive to temperature and will quickly die if they are not kept cold. Even if kept cold, scallops will usually die shortly after being placed on ice, especially if fresh water gets into their shells. Placing them on ice, however, makes them easier to open, because the muscle holding the shells together relaxes.
If you are like me with your talents at scalloping, you may want to consider befriending talented locals. Worked out well for me and I get to eat wonderful scallops even though I stink at catching them so far!
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HOW TO CLEAN SCALLOPS
Like oysters, there's a knack to cleaning scallops, and it's one I'm still not very darned good at. As a result, I am going to simply link you to a site that I think does a great job of showing you how to clean them so click here for the version with photos! Here's the steps, however, as outlined on the site:
1. You've already placed your scallops on ice because you read the paragraph above, right?
2. With the dark side of the scallop up, hinge facing away from you, insert a knife
blade or sharpened spoon between the top and bottom shells from the right and cut away the muscle at its attachment to the top shell. Remove the top shell and discard.3. Remove the dark innards by gently scraping from hinge to front with a spoon or scallop knife. The innards will peel cleanly from the muscle if you carefully scrape over the muscle from hinge to front, pinching the innards to the knife or spoon with your thumb as you pass over the cut surface of the muscle. This will leave the clean muscle attached to the bottom shell.
4. Now you simply scrape the scallop muscle from the bottom shell. Some people prefer to leave the muscle attached, put a drop of soy sauce on the meat, surround it with crabmeat stuffing, and broil it, shell and all.
SCALLOP RECIPES
SCALLOPS NINA
(Ingredients)
½ lb fresh or thawed St. Joe Bay scallops
3 tablespoons butter (preferably good, low water content butter like Danish Lurpak butter)
1 shaker dairy container of granulated Parmesan cheese
1/3 lemon, squeezed
3 cloves fresh pressed garlic
(Scallop Butter Sauce)
Microwave butter in small chafing dish until melted, mix in lemon juice and pressed garlic
(Preparation)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a cookie pan with tinfoil and place approximately 2 dozen cleaned scallop shells on the tinfoil
Place 4-6 scallops in each scallop shell and coat with butter sauce
Sprinkle scallops with a light coating of Parmesan cheese
Place scallops on center rack of oven and cook approximately 5 minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese is melted. Do Not Overcook!
(Presentation)
Remove cookie sheet to insulated pad.
Arrange scallop shells on seafood platter and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
Serve hot. Spoon scallops out of shells and place on Wheatsworth crackers. You will be delighted how the sweet taste of the scallops is complemented by the butter sauce and cracker. As featured on TheApplianceSolution.com Website
SCALLOPS ON THE HALF SHELL
Mix 1/2 stick of melted butter, 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, juice from 1 lime or lemon, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt and a few shakes (if desired) of your favorite hot sauce. Remove the top shell from scallop, leaving whole animal in bottom of shell. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of butter mixture over scallop, then broil 4” from heat for 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook.Optional: Clean the scallop leaving only the white meat in the shell. Repeat the above recipe.
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SHRIMP
SHRIMP RECIPES
STEAMED CAPE SHRIMP
(Ingredients)
You will need a small electric steamer or steamer insert for a stove top pot.
1-1/2 lbs fresh medium to large shrimp, washed but not peeled
3 heaping tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
10 shots Ed's Red or Crystal's hot sauce
3 drops SwampFire Oil or Old Bay liquid shrimp or crab boil
1/2 lemon cut into quarters
4 bay leaves
(Preparation)
Put 1-½ cup water and SwampFire Oil or Old Bay liquid into the steamer or pot and turn on heat.
Place bay leaves on steamer screen or bottom of steamer insert. Place shrimp and lemons on top of bay leaves and sprinkle with Tony's seasoning and hot sauce. Mix and coat the shrimp, trying to keep the bay leaves on the bottom.
Cover steamer with dish towel and steam shrimp for 5 to 7 minutes, (stir shrimp every 2 minutes to ensure even cooking). Remove shrimp from steamer when pink and plump, and let rest for 2 minutes before eating. Remember!.....The shrimp will continue to cook for a couple of minutes after they are removed from steamer so...Do Not Overcook!!!
(Presentation)
Remove shrimp from steamer and arrange on shrimp or seafood platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs. Serve with side dish of Quick Cocktail Sauce and/or Oyster Butter Sauce. Place empty bowl nearby for shrimp peels. You'll get many complements on this quick and tasty shrimp recipe.
Quick Cocktail Sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 shots Ed's Red hot sauce
¼ lemon, squeezed
Blend ingredients together in small bowl
As featured on TheApplianceSolution.com Website