Peak season is winding down and now is the time to grab some crab at festivals in SF and Mendocino...
by Diane Peterson

   With the Dungeness crab season now at its peak, the countdown has begun for lovers of this sweet and succulent West Coast delicacy.

   Only a few more weeks remain before the cheap, plentiful supply of Cancer magister tapers off and we set our culinary compasses toward other seasonal pleasures.

   To celebrate the crab's last hurrah, both Mendocino County and San Francisco will throw festivals this month and next for their favorite edible icon, complete with crab cooking classes, crab cake cookoffs, crab crawls, crab winemaker dinners and good, old-fashioned crab feeds.

   For those who haven't yet had their fill of the tasty crustaceans -- is there such a thing as too much crab? -- the festivals provide a good excuse for a winter getaway and an antidote to cabin fever.

   First up is the fifth annual Mendocino Crab & Wine Days, a North Coast event that brings together two of Mendocino's finest during 10 fun, finger-lickin' days this Friday through Feb. 1.

   "There is still room at the events and rooms to stay, although the crab feeds do sell out early," Heidi Cusick of the Mendocino County Alliance reported in mid-January.  "This year, Dick's Place next to the Mendocino Hotel has a crab feed every day, so people can come up during the week."

   One of the most popular events is the crab cake cookoff, where local chefs go spatula-to-spatula to see who can concoct the most delicious crab cake.  Now in its third year, the cookoff will be held 1:30 to 4 p.m. Jan. 31 at Fort Bragg's Noyo Harbor, along with a  contest to find the best Mendocino wine with crab.

   Nicholas Petti, chef/owner of Mendo Bistro in Fort Bragg, has won the crab cake cookoff for the past two years, earning himself a seat at the judge's table this year.

   His crab cakes can still be tasted at his restaurant through crab-cooking class held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Mendo Bistro.

   "One of my dishwashers also works at Caito Fisheries, and he's been keeping me updated," said Petti.  "I don't know if it's going to be as good as it was last year, but everything that I've been getting in so far has been great."

   Caito Fisheries sales manager Gene Mattiuzzo, who served as a judge at last year's contest, said the thing to look for is lots of crab and crab flavor.

   "If they can make it with just enough binder to keep it together -- bread crumbs and celery and maybe some egg -- that's the one that goes to the top," he said.

   In his cooking class, Petti will go over how to clean and cook a crab -- despite the fact that most people buy crab that's already been cooked and cleaned.

   If you're a purist, however, cooking it yourself is the preferred method.  The difference in flavor and texture is dramatic, since crabs tend to spoil quickly once they are cooked.

   When cooking for his restaurant, Petti throws crabs in boiling water for 15 or 20 seconds -- basically enough to kill them -- then cleans them and breaks them apart.  The pieces can be either steamed or stir-fried later, according to his needs.

   But if you're not planning on cooking the crabs a different way, you can simply leave them in the boiling water for 10 or 12 minutes, until they are cooked through, he said.

   To clean a crab, simply lift the triangular "apron" underneath the crab, twist off and discard.  Pull off the top shell (known as the carapace), discard the feathery gills on both sides, the jaw parts at the front and the soft viscera in the middle of the back.  If you're going to serve the crab in the shell, break them into two sections to expose the body meat.

   Then simply rinse until nothing is left but the shell and meat.  The cleaning is relatively quick and easy, taking only a minute or so per crab.

   Like lobster, crabs can be enjoyed in as simple or as fancy a manner as you wish.  They are excellent in dips, salads, soups and stews, including the ever-popular Italian fish stew known as cioppino.

   Here on the West Coast, crab is often given an Asian twist.  At last year's Mendocino Crab & Wine festival, the Restaurant at Stevenswood Executive Chef Marc Dym created a flavorful Hawaiian Ahi, Avocado and Crab Poke Salad utilizing Japanese ingredients like wasabi tobiko caviar and wakami seaweed salad.

   Joey Altman of the Bay Area TV cooking show "Bay Cafe" captured top honors at the 2003 Crab & Wine Marketplace in San Francisco last year with his savory Thai Coconut Crab Soup.

   Even Petti has been drawn to Asian preparations at the Mendo Bistro.

   "Last week, we did crab with a Chinese black bean sauce at the restaurant," he said.  "Crab lends itself to so many different preparations, but truly, the best thing is to eat crab meat as simply as possible.  It's so good by itself."

   A few months ago, Petti said he tried the traditional salt and pepper crab at the R&G Lounge in San Francisco's Chinatown, and it was one of the best crab dishes he's ever eaten.

   During the month of February, San Francisco will pay homage to the divine Dungeness crab with signature crab dishes and other festive events at many of its fine restaurants, including the The Lark Creek Restaurant group (includes One Market Restaurant in San Francisco and The Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur) and those belonging to the Mission Merchants Association (Last Supper, Alma's, Foreign Cinemas, among others).

   McCormick and Kuleto's Seafood Restaurant at Ghirardelli Square will throw a crab banquet and fund-raiser for the Fishermen's and Seamen's Memorial Chapel on Feb. 5.  Tickets are $75.

   The San Francisco Crab Festival culminates Feb. 28 and 29 with the gala Crab & Wine Marketplace at Fort Mason Center, including food and wine tastings from top Bay Area restaurants.

   As far as what wines to drink with your crab, Petti suggested a viognier or pinot gris from Mendocino County.  Last year, Navarro Vineyards won the Mendocino Crab & Wine Days' best wine with crab competition for its pinot gris.

   "Some people want to get a big buttery chardonnay to go  with a big, butter crab, but I like the contrast myself, so I head in the other direction," he said.

   "What's really nice to see is the real diversity of wines coming out of Mendocino County these days," he added.  "It seems like the various vintners and winegrowers have realized that we're not going to be well served by going head-to-toe with Napa and Sonoma on chardonnay and cabernet, and maybe we're better off growing grenache and syrahs . . . they're more fun with food."

For Crab Recipes, click here...