HOW TO BE A SEA SCROUNGE
(Page 4 of 9)
Mussel hunters on the West Coast must contend with a
special problem. Pacific mussels are contaminated during
the warmer months by a poisonous micro-organism which the
shellfish strain from the water while feeding. These
plankton-like little plants are luminescent and—at
the height of their season—lend a sparkling, fiery
glow to wave crests and boat wakes. The danger of
contamination from these creatures is so great that
California forbids the gathering of mussels from May to
October. During the remainder of the year, though, these
West Coast shellfish are just as nourishing and delectable
as their eastern brethren.
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Mussels are found on wharf pilings at the low-water line or
on rocks just reached by the shallow waters of low tide.
Live, useable mussels will be attached to their roosting
spots by a web of strong, silken black threads called the
byssus. Never take an unattached mussel. Pluck the
good ones and remove their "beards" by pulling the threads
toward the large end of the shells with your thumb and
forefinger.
These tough little mollusks are almost impossible to open
raw, but that's no loss because uncooked mussels are pretty
unappetizing. Scrub the shells with steel wool or a wire
brush and steam them for 20 minutes until they open. Serve
with melted-butter sauce.
Before we move on to crabbing, I would like to again
emphasize that all shellfish should be scrubbed well and
inspected closely before being cooked or eaten. Immediately
discard any mollusk that doesn't close tightly when handled
or that has a cracked or broken shell. Never cook or
eat a dead clam or mussel.
CRABBING
Crab catching can be exciting, challenging and a lot of
fun. The best-known East Coast variety is the blue crab
(known in the South as the sea crab). This crustacean is
large (about 6" across), its back is dark green, stomach
white, trim red and legs blue. It frequents muddy shores,
estuaries and the bottoms of bays although the best hunting
is often the channels that cut through salt marshes.
Crabs can be difficult to see in the shallows. Their
natural coloring is such an effective camouflage that they
are easily mistaken for just another ripple in the dull
green water. The trick is to keep a picture of the crab in
your mind and search the waters until the image in your
head merges with the real live crab on the bottom.
There are three ways to go after the blue: with a net,
baited line or trap. The first is a real sporting
proposition.
The crab is a sensitive, alert creature and sneaking up on
one with net in hand requires some doing. Wear sneakers to
protect your feet and proceed with the utmost silence and
caution. When you locate one of the crustaceans, approach
him from the rear (if you can) and scoop him up with a
long, quick sweep. Your scoop has to be faster than his
swim and, chances are, you'll miss. That's when the fun
begins . . . because if you pursue the defiant little
devil, he'll soon turn and offer to fight you with his
dexterous—and dangerous—pincers.
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