I had a chance to visit Clayton’s last month and was amazed at the facility. From the giant steamers to the charming ladies who hand-pick the crabmeat, the place was like simultaneously stepping into the past as well as seeing hope for the future of the Bay. Let’s take a look at the process.

The crabs are harvested using crab pots, which are square cages that trap the crabs by guiding them into smaller sections where they cannot escape. They are then steamed in gigantic machines. To the left, you can see one container of live crabs. The steamer fits two of these containers. Once the crab is cooked, it is processed by hand. If you’ve ever had a good old fashioned crab feast, you know that picking the delicate meat out is a difficult and time consuming task. These workers are the masters. One of them told me that she can pick a whole crab, sorted by types of meat, in under 30 seconds. Each picker’s work is weighed and they are rewarded for speed, consistency and accuracy.

The Chesapeake blue crab’s name is Callinectes sapidus, and for good reason. It comes from the Greek calli- = “beautiful”, nectes = “swimmer”, and Latin sapidus = “savory”. It is widely regarded as the sweetest and most flavorful of all the crab in the world, and it consistently wins awards.  J.M. Clayton’s packages and ships approximately 30,000 pounds of crabs and crabmeat each day during peak season, which runs from April through November. Much of the products are trucked fresh to the Western Shore of the Bay, but others are packed in ice and flown across country.

The next time you are offered a Maryland crabcake, ask where the crab came from, and demand that it is an authentic product that supports this local economy.

Sources and more info:

J.M. Clayton Seafood Company
More photos from my day!

I have recently left my restaurant job to pursue a new project: I am going to visit and work at farms, butcher shops, fisheries, markets, and other food producers in Maryland. I will document each experience and post it here. The idea is to get my hands dirty and learn about where our food comes from, but also to promote Maryland agriculture and aquaculture.

When I think about seasonal cooking, I think about ingredients. The best cuisine comes from the best raw products. But it’s not that easy. Do I ship the world’s very best fish to my restaurant? Or do I buy yellow perch from the Chesapeake? Is it the best? Or is it just local? What exactly does sustainable mean? What’s different about cheese made in Maryland? Who are these people raising bison in Monkton, anyway?

My goal is to show everyone that Maryland is amazing. We are “the California of the East coast”, after all. I know farmers who grow everything from beets and herbs year round to horseradish and lemongrass. It used to be that a locally sourced restaurant was hurting for variety. Well that’s just not true anymore. We have beef, heritage pork, quail, goat, bison, French heritage chickens, and rabbit. That’s not even beginning to touch on seafood!

So join me, as I introduce you to some of my favorite people: the ones who grow, raise and produce your food. I will travel all over Maryland to find them for you, and hopefully we will all learn something together.

Cheers,

Chef Sarah