FISHERMAN Beatrice Taylor is the only remaining female "waterman" licensed in Virginia.

SEASONALITY
Crabbing on the Chesapeake starts in April and ends in November.

"The waterman are doing their part to sustain the industry...what has really hurt the bay is run-off from over development and bad agricultural practices."

SCIENTIFIC SOUP
A soft-shell crab is a crab that has grown out of its shell and has shed it. As it grows, a crab will shed its shell as many as 20 times in a season.

FOOD HISTORY
Consumer demand for the blue crab dates back to the late mid-1800's.

VOCABULARY
Callinectes Sapidus: the blue crab’s scientific name, meaning beautiful savory swimmer.

CHEF Chef Todd Gray is the Chef/Owner of Equinox Restaurant and Salamander Market & Restaurant in The Plains, Virginia. He grew up in the Washington D.C. area. Chef Gray is a five-time nominee of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic and recognized as one of the region's premier chefs.

DISH 1
Soft Shell Crab with Summer Melon, Watercress Salad and Anchovy Butter
RECIPE (pdf) >>

"What we want to give to people is an understanding of great food everyday…the menu that I cook is all driven by the seasons, with every new month the vegetables, fish, and meat change—we are in harmony with the seasons."

SPECIAL TOOLS/TIPS
When cooking with fresh crab, make sure they are alive and don't have any off-putting orders.