Читать книгу Grant's Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids - Grant McOmie - Страница 13

3

Crazy for Crab

Each winter, commercial Dungeness crab season is red-hot and rolling despite cold, wet, and harsh weather conditions. Dean Ellsworth said his 44-foot fishing boat, the Nola K, is his home away from home at this time of year. Ellsworth and his three-man crew spend long days and nights tossing out and pulling in nearly a thousand 80-pound crab pots during a fishing season that begins each December in time for the holidays. “The crab season means a lot to us,” noted Ellsworth—a longtime crab fisherman who began fishing more than 45 years ago. “Frankly, hundreds of people work on boats or in canneries and the crab season is a critical part of small town economies.”

Dungeness crab commercial fishing season opens each December and seafood processor Steve Fick explained it’s quite a catch for consumers as hundreds of pounds of fresh crab are off-loaded from fishing boats into totes at his business, Fishhawk Fisheries, in Astoria. “This is the state’s most valuable seafood worth nearly 50 million-dollars to coastal communities. It’s an economic component that fills a big void from December to March for many fishermen and their families who live here, plus the infrastructure of support—like the crab pot businesses or the marine supply stores—all of that business stays in our community and it is key to the viability of rural life along the Oregon coast.”

Recreational crab fishing can be done year-round at the Oregon coast either by boat or from a dock. Dock crabbing requires less gear, but anyone age 12 and older will need a shellfish license in either case. Rental equipment is available from many marinas and tackle shops along the coast and you can even find shops that will cook the fresh crab for you. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website offers instructions and tips for both types of crabbing (dfw.state.or.us/mrp/shellfish/crab) and they also host crabbing classes—see the sidebar on pages 38–39 for more information.

Fick first explored the Columbia River estuary as a kid, so he knows his way around the vast waterway where the river meets the sea. We left the snug harbor of Hammond, Oregon, near Astoria and slowly motored the short distance downriver to an area just off Clatsop Beach. Fick had prepared five large crab pots or traps with varied baits—a strategy he often uses so to “see what the crabs prefer.” Sometimes he’ll use turkey legs, chicken wings, shad, or salmon carcasses—even a can of tuna for crab bait. Anyone say, lunchtime?

“Oh yes, a can of tuna fish is perfect bait,” exclaimed Fick. “All you do is perforate the can so that the scent comes out—you can also buy canned sardines or mackerel too—both work well. As long as they have a high oil content, it seems to fish well—the scent is what draws the crab into the pot.” Each Oregon crabber over age 12 must carry an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Shellfish License and is allowed to use up to three crab pots. We timed our trip to fish our traps during the last hour of the incoming tide and then through the high slack tide period, which is often the best crabbing time.

Fick said it’s the safest time to crab in the estuary: “There is no reason to be out here on the ebb tide—that’s the outgoing tide and things can go from bad to worse in a heartbeat. It can be the most dangerous part of the tide cycle and this river can change so fast. You just don’t take chances out here.” Fick said that each trap should soak for 15 to 20 minutes—that allows enough time for the crabs to locate the bait and enter the pot. Each crabber is allowed a dozen male crabs apiece and in Oregon they must be 5¾ inches across the back. Females are protected to preserve the breeding population of crabs. A crab gauge or other measuring device is essential gear since some crabs miss the mark by only a fraction of an inch.

Fick and I soon had our hands full of 24 fresh crabs, and then we joined a couple of his fishing friends, Steve Williams and Terry Hartil, who love to eat fresh crab as much as they like to catch them. The trio met to prepare three of their favorite crab recipes at an annual crab fest where they share new recipes with friends and family. Each recipe also offered a low-calorie approach.

Recipe #1 is an easy-to-fix Dungeness Crab Dip. Combine ½ cup each of low-fat mayo and low-fat sour cream and 1 cup plain yogurt. Fick said he will cut the calories by 70 percent using this low-fat approach. “It is a real simple dip emphasizing low calories so you can eat this without feeling bad about it.” He seasoned the dip with a tablespoon each of parsley, green onions, 1 teaspoon each of ground pepper and paprika—plus a tablespoon of dry ranch dressing—then he folded in 2 cups of cracked Dungeness crab. He placed the bowl of crab dip on a platter and surrounded it with varied vegetables. He added cracked crab legs across the top of the dip to provide a fine finishing touch.

The best crab bait is the freshest and includes chicken wings, shad, salmon carcasses, or tuna.

“The crab is really excellent quality so this will be delicious,” added Fick with a smile.

Crab recipe #2 follows the same low-calorie theme and it is called Salmon Wrapped Crab. Fick cut thin strips from a salmon fillet—each strip was approximately 6 to 7 inches long and 2 inches wide. The thin-cut salmon strips provided a base for a tablespoon of crab mix. For the mix, Fick blended 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons each of finely chopped yellow peppers and finely chopped onion, plus 1 cup of crabmeat. He rolled up the salmon strip around the crab mix and poked a toothpick through the salmon to hold it all together. The Salmon Wrapped Crab went under the oven broiler for 2½ minutes—then he added a pinch of Parmesan cheese atop each wrap and placed the tray back under the broiler for another minute and a half. “The key,” Fick cautioned, “is not to cook the fish too long or it will dry out.”

Crab recipe #3 found Steve Williams and Terry Hartil outdoors on a rainy winter’s night where they cooked up a Dungeness Crab Feast. Williams began by placing corn on the cob—each ear is wrapped in foil—atop the barbecue grill. (He used a Weber-style grill with white-hot charcoal for heat.) “You may not want to do this on a rainy night, but certainly in the summertime. Everyone I know loves a fresh ear of barbecued corn,” he said. Williams also grilled an assortment of vegetables as a side dish for the Crab Feast that included sliced yellow squash, green zucchini, sliced peppers, asparagus spears, and red onions. Williams loves to grill oysters as a fine complement to the crab. He placed whole oysters in the shell atop the grill and closed the lid until the oysters started to pop open (about 10 minutes) and he then dabbed a small amount of butter and cooked bacon inside each oyster.

Meanwhile, Hartil placed cooked crab sections atop the Weber grill: “You’re not trying to cook it again—it’s already been cooked. All you want to do is warm it back up and you can add smoky flavor to it with wood chips. After 2 to 3 minutes it comes out warm and delicious.”

Hartil is co-owner of Bell Buoy Seafood in Seaside and said that a Dungeness Crab Feast is a long Oregon custom: “People just love this crab! It’s a coastal tradition to do this in the winter too. You can’t believe the number of people who come in and say, ‘When I was a little kid, my dad and grandpa brought me into the store and they bought dozens of crabs. We put them out on a table for a traditional crab feed every year.’”

Soon it was assembly time on a table jammed with the varied dishes—plus, Oregon wines and brews. I asked Steve Williams what he enjoyed the most: cooking the crab with new recipes or eating the crab once the recipe is complete. “Boy, that’s a tough one,” he said with a chuckle. “Let’s call it a toss-up, cuz I love everything out here—that’s a tough choice.” The crowd that turned out for this special crab cooking segment was in heaven!

Guest diner Kerry Harsin said he’d never tried barbecued crab: “Never—and it is different. You do get a little smoky flavor and I like that—it’s really good.” Guest diner Shannon Dotson loved the salmon wraps and planned to make them at home. “This is amazing,” said Dotson. “And so easy to make!” She admitted she wasn’t a big crab eater, but that’s going to change: “It’s great—I’ve never blended crab with salmon but this is delicious.”

“Dungeness crab meals can be real social events,” said Fick. “Really a nice way of bringing people together—everyone at the table picking at their food and socializing.” And the best part is that the recipes are so easy, anyone can try and that’s something to consider while Dungeness crab is in season.

It was a perfect way to round out our crabbing adventure and bring the day’s activity full circle: from the estuary to the dining table. Interestingly, Fick added that 80 percent of the crab is caught in the first month of the season—it’s also the time when prices for the seafood are at their lowest. Plus, even if you don’t sport fish for crab, the annual commercial crabbing season provides fresh Oregon Dungeness in your local grocery. As we enjoyed a very filling seafood dinner, I asked Fick what he liked most about the adventure that’s just off his front doorstep: “Oh, it’s simple to do and everyone can be involved in it. It’s easy to catch a dozen crabs per person with lots of action for kids. And—you never really know until you pull the pot up what you got and that is fun!”

3A Clatsop Spit (north end of Fort Stevens State Park)

Where: 100 Peter Iredale Road, Hammond, OR 97121

Web: oregonstateparks.org

Phone: 503-861-3170 x21; 800-551-6949

3B South Beach State Park

Where: 5044 Oregon Coast Highway, South Beach, OR 97366

Web: oregonstateparks.org

Phone: 800-551-6949; 541-867-7451

3C Yaquina Bay/South Beach Marina

Where: SE Marine Science Drive and US Highway 101, Newport, OR 97365

Web: portofnewport.com/recreational-marina

Phone: 541-867-3321

Watch the Episode: traveloregon.com/WinterCrab

TIP

ODFW Crab Class

When you try something new, it pays to go with the pros! Not so long ago, more than thirty newcomers—mostly parents and their kids—discovered how to catch Oregon’s premier crustacean: Dungeness crab. The gathering of parents and their kids attended one of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Crab Classes, a hands-on seminar from the agency’s menu of adventures called Outdoor Skills (dfw.state.or.us/education/outdoor_skills). Instructors, biologists, and volunteers teach and assist students in the varied Outdoor Skills courses.

Crabbing is a popular recreation that requires some skill and knowledge, so the agency developed the daylong course to encourage participation. ODFW spokesperson and instructor Mark Newell said that the students get all the gear and assistance that they might need for a day of fun and excitement at any number of the seminars that are held in various coastal towns including Gold Beach, Bandon, Port Orford, Charleston, and Yaquina Bay at Newport. “We want people to care about the environment and the only way to get them to do that is to get them out enjoying it. That’s what Crab Class does for many students,” said Newell.

Mike Hoge and his son, Jerrad Hoge, came all the way from Silverton to pick up pointers on the crabbing recreation. “I did it a little bit as a kid,” noted Mike. “But I didn’t really have any instruction, so I thought some good lessons would help and I’m glad we came today.” The students kicked off the affair at the South Beach State Park Activity Center, just south of Newport. Instructor Brandon Ford presented the basics of crab biology and explained the trapping techniques and the rules and regulations of the sport.

The session was followed by a short drive to Yaquina Bay Marina where the hands-on action began. The first order of business was learning how to place the bait inside the crab trap or rings. The bait of choice for the day’s adventure: chicken! Jennifer Erickson said that she didn’t mind the tradeoff of chicken for crab. In fact, she and her husband, Steve Erickson, traveled from Portland for the chance to learn something new about a seafood they really enjoy eating for dinner. “It’s really fun to go out with experts,” she noted. “To be coached and helped along the way before doing it on our own just seemed to make a lot of sense to us. Plus, crab is so tasty—that’s a bonus.”

Once the students were comfortable with the gear, it was time to toss the traps from atop Yaquina Bay Pier that juts hundreds of yards into the bay. The pier is open to fishing and crabbing year-round. Students learned how to measure a crab to make certain it’s legal (only twelve male Dungeness crabs are allowed and they must be 5¾ inches across the back) and how to tell the difference between the two species of crab that are present in Yaquina Bay: Dungeness crabs and red rock crabs. “We show them how to crab from the pier,” said Ford. “But we also take them out on the bay in boats to drop traps in several places that our biologists have scouted. We try to take folks to the best places in the whole bay.”

The traps were checked, the crabs were counted, and then it was time to cook. It was a fine way to round out the day’s adventure. Each student in the class must purchase an ODFW Shellfish License. The course costs $40 for adults, $10 for kids under 18. Students are provided with instruction plus all the gear including bait, traps, and life jackets. “It’s a real good deal,” added Ford. “Especially at lunchtime because no one goes away hungry from the class.”

In addition to ODFW’s classes, crab seminars are also a part of the annual outdoor celebrations at the Pacific Northwest Sportsman’s Show—a 5-day event held each February at the Portland Expo Center—and the annual PDX KidFest and the ODFW’s popular Portland Women’s Expo.