Taking the gore out of gourmet

I admit it…I’m a sucker for soft shell crabs. I’m originally from the land of lobsters so that’s quite a mouthful of confession. It wasn’t an easy transition – we had moved to Baltimore in the early 80s and the thought of devouring anything with the shell on, still sounded unnatural.

New to the area and inquisitive, I ventured out to the local food troughs and through gritted teeth placed my order for softshell crabs. I scurried to a secluded booth to taste what others had said were outrageously good. Yeah, well, I’ll be the judge of that, I thought to myself. I’d already been introduced to steamed crabs that you spend an evening banging away with a mallet on brown papered table. It was a lot of work for a few pieces of lump crab- besides a mess all over myself. I wasn’t that impressed and expected the same results.

I. Was. Wrong.

It was instant addiction from the first bite!
Had I known this tasty morsel was only available for a limited time each year, I might not have fallen so easily for a new favorite. But, I surrendered- it was too hard to say NO to soft shell crabs.

Next came oysters! I was getting braver by the hour. This morsel I preferred to discover in the dark - let’s just say it’s not the prettiest seafood to look at. I blindly assembled the hot sauce, lemon to squeeze, crackers, cocktail sauce, etc. to finally settle on what combo delights my individual palate.

New Englanders know that fried clams originated from the Ipswich/Essex area and can make anyone a fan, but let’s face it - devouring seafood, face-to-face? It just ain’t pretty, and certainly not for the mild mannered. But I’ve learned from my favorites, which have added a few inches to my waistline, that if you become a fan - you’re hooked for a lifetime.

Over the years being in the food industry, I’ve happily competed with my lobster recipes throughout New England and have humbly won my share of trophies. But honestly, how can you go wrong with anything that starts with a stick of butter and then add garlic …you’re halfway to Phenomenal-ville already!

In South Carolina, we are about to embark on festivals galore nearly every weekend. Now is the time to find the next seafood dish to love! Grab your sweetheart, family, pals and neighbors and trust their advice to bravely attempt the unknown. There are enough fabulous local restaurants to experiment in. Relax…enjoy…indulge.