A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Use this area to post inshore fishing reports from the area. Please try to include relevant information such as:
Location, date, time, water conditions, weather conditions, baits, techniques, species caught, etc.
My friend Wil and I got 4 dozen nice blue crabs down at Hickory Mound this morning. Caught them all by 9:30, at times 2 and 3 at the time. Looking forward to crab stew tomorrow.
Crab Stew Recipe:
Clean and segment crabs. Count on 6 medium size crabs per person.
In a large pot start a 1 to 1 oil/butter and flour rioux. Cook until the color of your shoe tops (really that is how I learned it). It is actually a rich brown gravy color. The darker the rioux, the richer the flavor, but you are playing chicken with it, so be careful.
Cut and dice 2 large onions and 12 cloves of garlic.
As soon as the rioux is the right color add the onions and garlic and stir constantly for about 3 minutes to sweat them.
Add in the crab bodies and claws. Stir and coat crabs with the mixture.
Add hot water to the pot and leave about an inch below covering the crabs. The water from the crabs will provide more water than you think.
Bring back to a boil and add salt, black pepper( the more the better), and cajun seasoning to taste.
Reduce heat to a simmer, and stir occasionally. Cook for about 2-3 hours.
Serve the stew over white rice with garlic bread and salad and sweet tea.
Just Curious. How do you catch crabs other than a crab trap and the old "chicken neck on a string" method?? Is there a recreational season likes scallops or can you catch them year round??
We didn't have any necks, but a drumstick on a string was the trick. I don't know if there's a season or not, Tom will have to answer that one.
Tom's family was kind enough to invite me over for dinner last night to try that stew, and I can say this: It is the only way I'll be fixing crabs anymore.
There's always a bunch of traps on the docks at Econfina. We tried it over Labor Day. Had low country boil. It was good but they sure are alot of work for just a tad of meat. I'll have to give that stew a whirl.