Crabs to the Slaughter

I've been waiting for live crab to go on sale for several weeks. This past weekend they finally went on sale at my local T&T for $3.99/lb; a total steal. I trekked down to the store and stood in front of a large tank filled to the brim with Dungeness Crabs scrambling to climb out. Clutching a gargantuan set of tongs, I picked out four boisterous crabs; all of them fought back as I attempted to remove them from the tank. I figured that my logic of feisty equaling fresh was pretty sound.

I took the four of them home and stashed them in a cooler until they'd be slaughtered. I prepared my mis en place and all the time I was watching the clock. I was waiting, almost dreading, for the minute I'd slaughter the crabs. And then, it came.

I've slaughtered crabs and lobsters before but it was different this time. This time, I felt closer to the product and thought more about how I'd be taking the life of an animal to feed myself. Maybe this means I've grown as a cook and have taken that step in learning what it means to respect your product.

I took the crab, flipped it on to its back and plunged a Chef's Knife into it's Abdomen just above its apron. I hoped the one swift stab was to kill the crab as quickly as possible. It seemed to work. I quickly dispatched each crab, cleaned and dismembered them and then immediately set onto cooking.

This dish, the national dish of Singapore, has always been a favourite. Chili Crab, has a great balance of flavours ranging between sweet, savory and spicy. It's a thrill to eat with nothing more than a bowl of steamed rice or some good bread. Although this is not traditionally made with Dungeness Crab it was still good eats.

But in the end, this wasn't about the food. It was about learning respect for my product and doing it justice. I killed an animal, four animals, so I could eat. Respect for the product, those animals, was the first step in creating something worthy of eating.

Respect and wanting to do the product justice will result in great food every time. I'm sure of it.