Green Crabs on the Menu
Over the past few weeks we’ve been working with Wulf’s Fish to get hard-shell green crabs onto menus! Wulf’s has been selling green crabs caught by North Shore harvester Zack Appeltofft. So far Zack’s green crabs have popped up in restaurants from Delaware to Boston:
Alcove: Boston, MA
Alcove Executive chef Charles Draghi grew up in an Italian family eating razor clams and other species that at the time most people considered bait. Draghi has been cooking with green crabs for years and reveres them for their complex and rich flavor.
“I love cooking with green crabs because they’re so rich in flavor. You need half the poundage of green crabs to create a flavorful stock compared to lobster or Jonah crabs”.
A few years ago, the chef had a chance to purchase green crabs from harvester Mike Furlong. At the time, Mike had been working on a project to molt soft-shell green crabs. However, Mike was tragically lost at sea in late 2021. In memory of Mike Furlong and his legacy in the green crab fishery, chef Draghi created the Furlong Bisque. The bisque features a rich green crab broth, mascarpone, and chervil and has been added as a permanent menu item at Alcove.
The Furlong Bisque at Alcove, Boston is available during lunch and dinner
Faccia Brutta: Boston, MA
Faccia Brutta just opened on Newbury St. and comes from award-winning chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette. The restaurant focuses on the diverse cuisines of coastal Italy, featuring a wide-selection of crudos and seafood dishes. They recently began offering a razor clam dish drizzled with green crab butter and topped with morel mushrooms and spring onions.
We had a chance to meet Faccia Brutta Executive chef Brian Rae who stepped us through his process of creating this infused butter.
"We begin by roasting whole green crabs before combining them with a mirepoix and brandy which we infuse into the butter. The result is a fragrant butter sauce which we drizzle atop the razor clams" - Faccia Brutta Executive Chef Brian Rae
While the combination of delicate razor clams and rich green crab butter is heavenly to taste, there is also a deeper connection between the two species. Razor clams are one of the many bivalves preyed upon by green crabs and like green crabs, razor clams were also once considered an underutilized species.
Razor clams with morel mushrooms, spring onion, and green crab butter from Faccia Brutta
The Blue Hen: Rehoboth Beach, DE
Green crabs have made it to Delaware! The menu at The Blue Hen changes daily and features a wide-array of Chesapeake -inspired seafood dishes. So far, they’ve created several dishes utilizing green crab stock. A week ago, they featured a dish with cockles, green crab broth, pickled fresnos, green garlic, and bok choy. Now on their menu, you’ll find a spicy Maryland crab soup with green crab broth, roasted red chiles, and chives.
Cockles with green crab broth, pickled fresnos, green garlic, and bok choy. Photo by The Blue Hen.
Our biggest thanks to Wulf’s Fish and Castle Hill Lobster for helping with logistics and distribution. If your restaurant or fish market is interested in purchasing green crabs, contact the team at Wulf’s.