A weekend of crab-filled hush puppies & puppy drum.

Crispy wok-fried Chesapeake Bay soft shells coated in a sticky, spicy, gingery sauce are a perfect storm of hyper-regional ingredients and imported techniques. This is what food is all about: blending cultures, time and places.

The method for grilling softshell crabs is simple: high heat to get the shells crispy, seasoning & some fat. You can use any fat you want, but the butter added a bit of welcome richness, I highly recommend it. As for seasoning, salt and pepper if you want to keep it minimalist. Old Bay if you know what's up.

It couldn’t be simpler. All you need is a pair of scissors.

These little handheld crab poppers are divine.

Tempura fried and rolled with cucumber, avocado, and old bay mayo, these soft shell crab rolls were light, with a filling crunch, and the most satisfying thing I’ve eaten this June.

Soft shell crabs might be nature’s most perfect food. Fried up, with a slice of ripe tomato and crispy bacon, it’s the essence of summertime on the Chesapeake.

Gas station ingredients, but make it fancy.

This recipe riffs on the classic clams oreganata, but with the twist of country-style Virginia ham.

Somewhere between anchovies and parmesan- salty and full of umami, but with a distinct oceany flavor. Use them in everything.

If you’ve never eaten shell-on shrimp, it's kind of like a softshell blue crab. And if you haven't had softshell crab, well, you're missing out.

Vacations mean a taco-only diet

On whelks and beach combing and wild land

Eat the bait!

Pair with cheap beer and plenty of good friends.

Creamy, with a hint of smokiness from the charred leeks, this oyster-studded stew is a real knockout

A brighter and lighter take on the classic Rockefeller

Crab fat possesses a subtle briny sweetness that pairs beautifully with creamy soups.