Lately in this space it seems I have been mulling over obtuse theories on food. This month I promised (she threatened me) my editor I would refrain from such ramblings on obscure theories. So instead, I have been pondering obscure food sayings and one such cliché has stuck in my mind. Are clams really happy? The only ones I have dealt with are usually angry, well not so much angry as steamed and drenched in butter.

Shellfish and crustaceans are a downfall for me. I love them. With their natural richness (and cholesterol) and flavor, they can be the centerpiece of a meal, or they can shine as an appetizer or first course. Shellfish is rich people’s food. At least today it is. There was a time in this country when prisoners rioted over the fact that they were fed lobster too often and oysters were the food of the downtrodden. How I yearn for those days.

  Alaskan King Crab is a favorite of mine. The flavor has that briny taste that says it comes from deep cold waters. Lately I have seen it in grocery stores for fewer than $10 per pound. That is an incredible bargain. King crab is simple to prepare. Since it is already precooked, all you are doing is warming it up. If you can boil water and melt butter, you can feast on king crab. Although slightly messy, it is less work than blue crab.  King crab is an essential component of classics like Veal Oscar – yes, it is an old school dish – too often poorly made in restaurants. But when made right, it is a great indulgence. For the uninitiated, Veal Oscar, reputedly named after King Oskar II of Sweden, is sautéed veal medallions topped with king crab, asparagus spears and béarnaise sauce. With these ingredients, it is hard to turn out a bad dish, but execution and timing are key.

  Blue crabs are another simple summer-time treat. An old fashioned crab boil with fresh corn and fueled with good beer (no Coors or Budweiser) is a down the shore tradition that can’t be beat. Add lobsters, steamed clams and mussels and I am well happy as a clam, well as happy as the ones that escaped the pot at least. Crab boils are popular along the Jersey shore and are to Maryland, what the clambake is to New England. This is unpretentious eating at its best. In fact, every coastal region in the United States has some version of this down and dirty summer tradition feasting on local indigenous crustaceans. In Louisiana the crawfish is featured.

The key components to a crab boil, Chesapeake Bay style, are beer and vinegar mixed with water and copious amounts of old bay seasoning. In Louisiana, Zatarains is the boil seasoning of choice, accentuated by hot sauce (Crystal’s or Tabasco) in quantities that would stagger most Yankees. In the Carolinas’ Low country, feasts are the local equivalent of a clambake or crab boil and local shrimp the star of the show. Also popular are oyster roasts, which tend to take place in the fall and winter (the R months) where a hot fire makes sense on a chilly evening. What all these events have in common is a bringing together of the community. Feasting, after all, is as much about family and friends as the food.

No shore feast is complete without corn potatoes and soup. Well, not any old soup, but Chowder in New England Crab (Maryland boasts two popular crab soups – Maryland crab which is broth based and loaded with vegetables, and Cream of Crab which is rich and hearty, but not as refined as a bisque. Oyster stews and gumbos are popular the further south you go. Oyster stew is also a popular New Jersey dish and this is the state where O.T.C (Original Trenton Cracker) was invented in 1847.  I was taught the proper way to crush and eat the crackers in oyster stew and clam chowder as a kid by my grandfather, a Trenton native who disliked (nicer than the phrase he would have used) the flat and soggy New England variety.

As the summer starts to wind down enjoy shellfish in its natural form, steamed, boiled and adorned only with steamed corn and potatoes the way the natives and original settlers did hundreds of years ago. Try these recipes to accompany your boil or clambake; Shrimp and Oyster Gumbo, She-crab Soup and Rhode Island Clam Chowder. Until next month, Bon Appétit.

She-crab soup
(Yield 6-8 servings)

2 Hard cooked eggs, remove white and sieve the yolk

4 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

3 Ribs celery

¼ Chopped green onion

1 Small onion diced

3 Cups crab or chicken stock

2 Cups milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1½ Pounds jumbo lump crab

½ Cup sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika for garnish

2 Ounces crab roe for garnish, optional

In soup pot melt butter. Sauté celery and onion over medium heat. Add green onions. Sweat until soft. Add flour. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add stock, milk and cream. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add sieved egg yolks, sherry and crab. Simmer five minutes. Adjust seasoning, garnish with roe, paprika and lemon slice. Enjoy.

Shrimp and Oyster Gumbo
(Yield 12 servings)

½ Cup peanut oil

½ Cup flour

2 Cups chopped onion

2 Cups green pepper

2 Cups celery, chopped

1 Gallon shrimp stock

1 Teaspoon thyme

1 Teaspoon basil

1 Teaspoon oregano

Kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne – all peppers to taste

Crystal hot sauce to taste

2 Bay leaves

½ Cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 Pints oysters with their liquor

Filé powder to taste

5 Cups cooked rice garnish

1 Cup green onions garnish

In large pot, heat oil. Add flour to form roux. Cook over medium high heat stirring obsessively until reddish brown. Add vegetables. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add stock seasonings and parsley. Simmer 30 minutes. Add shellfish. When shrimp is pink gumbo is done. Serve in bowls topped with rice, green onions, and sprinkle with filé powder. Enjoy

Rhode Island Chowder

(Yields 10-12 servings)

2 Dozen quahog, scrubbed then steamed. Save liquid

Chop clam meat, reserve

1 Pound fatback, diced

1 Large onion, diced

5 Ribs celery

3 Teaspoons butter

5 Potatoes peeled and diced

2 Cloves garlic

Thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ Cup flour

Cook clams. Chop, saving meat and liquor for chowder. In large pot melt butter, add fat back and render. Add celery, onions and sweat. Do not brown. Add flour. Stir to form roux. Cook 2 minutes. Add clam liquor, plus 4 cups additional clam juice. Add clams and potatoes. Cook until chowder thickens and potatoes are soft. Season with salt pepper and 2 tablespoons fresh thyme. Add 4 cups heavy cream. Enjoy.

Note: For true Rhode Island Chowder; add one can crushed tomatoes when adding clams. Proceed as above. Chowder purists (read Bostonians) will see red over that step, in which case, disregard and stick to the original.