A down home crab boil-Featuring Starbrother!
Whenever I’m in Florida visiting my family, we always have at least one crab boil during the time I’m there. If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending one, it is a simple, yet endlessly complex, upbuilding and above all, human affair.Except for the crabs I guess. Anyhow, there is a single pot(more of a cauldron I guess), and into it go the following:
- 1.Potatoes (We just call em potatoes, not taters. Why? We have the time to say the whole word, according to my Gramma.)
- 2.Corn
- 3.Onions
- 4.Sausage
- 5.Deer
- 6.Carrots
- 7.Garlic
- 8.This stuff my gramma uses, it’s about a handful of what looks like sand, but she won’t tell me what it is, or why it makes the ENTIRE POT of food taste so good. (Some mysteries are fun I guess)
- 9.Endless odds and ends, all hand picked.
- 10.Crabs!
Now, the crabs that go in aren’t store bought, or farm raised. They’re big, mean, ornery fighting blue crabs, about the size of those chihuahuas ladies carry in purses out in California. We put out the traps, check how many crabs we got, and prepare them (so they don’t suffer unduly) and there you have it! (If you say “Bam!”, then guess what you are!)
They don't go down without a fight. Worthy opponents.
Now you go sit at one of the two big benches, get out your weapons (Big ole fork, big ole spoon and big ole knife), wait for Ma Helen to get everyone a viking sized glass of sun made tea, watch the long plate get set out, then the ENTIRE pot is dumped out, and you get to work. I usually come to a few hours later, then I remember I’m in the country and have no deadlines, so I have some more tea and go back to sleep.
That’s what a crab boil is to me, and the only reason I wouldn’t have one the next day is because it’s hog night then, and I love that as much as this.
Rock on folks!
~Starbrother
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