The Science of Soft Shell Go inside the tanks to find out how Hudson’s changed the soft-shell crab game. BY BARRY KAUFMAN
•
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY HUDSONS SEAFOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCKS
THE PROCESS Serving up soft-shell crab is equal part art and science, depending in huge part on a knowledge of our area waters. Timing is everything, and knowing when to pick ‘em and when to serve ‘em has become Hudsons’ stock in trade. It begins with specialized crab traps set at the beginning of the season. Crabbers will bait a trap with a male crab (called a Jimmy crab) who will send out special pheromones to attract female crabs who are ready to mate. “Crabs only molt for two reasons,” said Andrew Carmines. “Either they’re growing or they’re getting ready to mate.” Once the female crabs are in the trap, crabbers will wait until they spot subtle markings on the apron and back fins, which start out as pale yellow before darkening to a deep red. The marked crabs are the ones that are ready to be sent to the restaurant. “We put them in the flow-through system, and every day we pick up every crab and feel underneath the shell,” said Carmines. What we are feeling for is a hairline fracture, the first sign that the crab is ready to molt. It’s at this point that the most time-intensive part of the process begins. “Once they go into the crack float, we watch that very intently because we know those crabs are going to shed,” said Carmines. The crabs are put on a 24-hour-a-day watch, with members of the team rotating out in shifts. If they spot a crab backing out of its shell, they know they have just minutes to get it out of the water to collect it at peak quality. “It can happen in three minutes. It really depends on the crab.” 22
TASTEOFHILTONHEAD.COM