Florida Crab Claws in western Wisconsin?

Exciting news -- STONE CRAB CLAWS, my favorite thing to eat in the whole world, can now be found a few miles away from my western Wisconsin home (rather than the usual 1,800 miles away). Stone crab claws are unlike their cousin, the snow crab, in the firmness category - they boast flavorful, delicate, super flakey meat which is simply delicious. This Florida Keys favorite is now in stock at Polar Pete's in Saint Croix Falls (www.polarpeteswi.com). I believe they run about $7.99 a pound, but give them a call to double check. Stone crab is usually a pricey delicacy and is in season from October to May, so this is considered a winter and spring treat. For the most part you can’t find it up north...until now.

So what is a stone crab you ask? Stone crab claws come from the stone crab itself, and are just the claws of the crab (one claw is removed and the crab is returned to the ocean to regenerate it). The name "stone" is in reference to hardness of their shell, in which you'll need a mallet to break through.

I like to serve stone crab with a lemon mayo dill sauce to dip it in, which is a common way to serve it in The Keys. Once the crab is cooked, you chill it down and serve it cold. As mentioned, you’ll need a mallet of some sort to break through the hard shell of the claws (usually wooden mallets made specifically for this purpose are used, but a meat tenderizing mallet will do), along with thin seafood forks to get every last bit of the flakey meat out of the shell. Make sure to set your table with an empty bowl for shells as well as napkins and damp towels. Stone crab is deliciously messy. Serve with a side of rice pilaf and enjoy a simple yet delectable meal.

Lemon Mayo Dill Sauce
(Serves 2)
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dill
juice from 1/2 of a lemon