Now that the annual harvesting season for stone crab has ended, it’s time for other crab varieties to shine.
A variety of crab dishes beckon at the island’s restaurants, where stone crab is off the table until October after an annual five-month harvesting hiatus to buttress Florida’s stone crab fishery.
From blue crab dumplings at Flagler Steakhouse to signature crab cakes at such restaurants as Acqua Café or Swifty’s at The Colony, something crabby awaits.
“There are places in the country where you might not find a crab dish on the menu, but in Palm Beach, so many people love crab of all kinds,” said Gianni Minervini, co-owner of Trevini. “Each variety has a slightly different taste (and texture), but overall, crab is light and flavorful – and everybody loves that.”
Island chefs are particularly enthusiastic these days about softshell crab, which is in season through September.
The softshell crabs in question often are from the mid-Atlantic, where blue crabs at this time shed their hard shells for roomier and cellophane-thin soft shells you eat with the crabmeat.
“One of the things we all love about softshell crab is the seasonality of them,” said Eric Lemonides, co-owner of Almond, 207 Royal Poinciana Way, where softshell crab is served on Saturday nights. “Growing up in the northeast, softshell crab season means summer. School’s out. We’re at the beach and life is good.”
Almond’s chefs prepare softshell crab in various ways, but often tempura-style with a warm salad of avocado and cucumber or perhaps with citrus mojo, plantain chips and arugula.
PB Catch plans to start serving softshell crab Friday and Saturday night as a periodic summer special with risotto and lobster sauce.
“I like to sear the crabs in butter until they’re crispy,” PB Catch’s head chef Aaron Black said.
Trevini serves softshell crab, too — often piccata-style with risotto or lightly fried with steamed spinach — but the upscale Italian restaurant is perhaps best known for dishes employing lump and jumbo lump crab. Lunchgoers eat up Trevini’s crab panzanella salad with lump crab tossed with olive oil and lemon juice and served over chopped mango, cucumber and tomato with Dijon mustard sauce.
At dinner, Trevini, 223 Sunset Ave., offers such crab specialties as orecchiette pasta with jumbo lump crab, asparagus, basil, garlic, olive oil and baked cherry tomatoes. Beet risotto with lump crab, arugula and bottarga is another special.
Renato’s in Via Mizner also features dishes with lump or jumbo lump crab. At lunch, executive chef Javier Sanchez’s jumbo lump crab salad with avocado, cucumber and citrus vinaigrette is a favorite.
Lump crab co-stars in another salad with Maine lobster, diced mango, toasted sunflower seeds, baby greens and wildflower-honey vinaigrette.
“Now that softshell crab season is here, we’ll do it as a dinner special, piccata style with white wine, lemon and capers,” Sanchez said. “I love working with crab. You can do so much with it, but you also almost want to leave it alone, maybe add one ingredient or two to bring out the flavor. I also like eating crab. It’s so good.”
The Link LonkMay 20, 2021 at 01:09PM
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Crab dishes take center stage at island restaurants - Palm Beach Daily News
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