Maryland, My Maryland

Seafood Tricks and Tips from the Old Line State 

Home of the best seafood on the planet, home to Cameron’s Seafood, home to me! Maryland, my Maryland! The Old Line State plays host to all the bounty the Chesapeake Bay has to offer; oysters, clams, rockfish, catfish and…BLUE CRABS! The pride and joy of the Mid-Atlantic.

We’ll tackle the tricks and tips, all the culinary cards Marylanders hold close to the chest, for you to cook up seafood like a local.

How to pull off the perfect crab feast

First, the basic equipment…stocking up the Maryland way.

There is not a lot of equipment needed to dine in true Maryland fashion…but the few things that are required are necessary.

• An extra large pot is a must! A pot complete with steamer basket, this way you can steam up all the crabs you and your family can crack.
• Mallets, seafood picks and seafood crackers (not the saltine variety)-the arsenal needed to get at the choicest crab meat.
• Newspaper, paper towels and cups or bowls for condiments (butter, malt vinegar and extra seasoning).
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Cooking your crabs.

Cameron’s Seafood provides all the crabs you need to pull off the perfect crab feast; Colossal Jumbo Male Crabs (the biggest from the Bay), Premium Large Male Crabs, Standard Male Crabs, Jumbo Female Crabs and Standard Female Crabs.

The nice thing about Cameron’s Seafood is that they handle the seasoning and cooking for you…all you have to do is reheat!

• Place a steamer basket in a large pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the basket (I like using beer to reheat my crabs).
• Once the water is boiling, place the crabs inside, season and cover.
• Steam the crabs for five minutes or until the meat is hot throughou

All that’s left is to line the table with newspaper, melt some butter, have some extra seafood seasoning on standby and grab your picking tools!

Serve along sides…

There is more to Maryland than just the scrumptious seafood smorgasbord, the region produces some of the finest fruit and vegetables.

Serve your crab feast with steamed corn, fresh sliced tomatoes (home grown or farmer’s market finds), cucumbers (great with a little malt vinegar and seafood seasoning) and potatoes (steamed or salad-all good).

The Bounty Continues…

Rockfish

The locals call it Rockfish, everywhere else it’s known as Striped Bass. This rich, flaky white fish is a culinary rock-star. Broiled with a little lemon or butter, stuffed with crab (Cameron’s Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes are perfecto), deep fried for the ultimate fish and chips or served topped with creamy white wine sauce…divine!

Oysters and Clams

The crowning glory of the Chesapeake. Oysters and clams are a business all of their own and have been in the region for centuries!

Chowder’d, stewed, fried, used for stuffing (Maryland Thanksgiving specialty), sandwiched, bacon wrapped, gratin’d or dipped…Locals know their way around an oyster or clam.     

Catfish

The catfish was introduced to the area as another sport fishing opportunity and quickly they grew out of control (eating, literally, into the crab population). So, catfish have become a tasty ‘enemy number 1’ for Marylanders who are finding inventive ways to cook up and eat these invasive intruders.

Fried, broiled, baked, stuffed (another crab cake topped wonder), steamed, salads…you name it!

Buy Maryland Seafood Online

All of the wonderful Maryland seafood listed in this article is available at our online store. As we say, ‘from shore to door, 3 days fresher than the grocery store’-all of Maryland Seafood is delivered right to your door when you schedule it, guaranteed! And remember, the best crabs, rockfish, oysters, clams and catfish come from the Chesapeake Bay Blue ?

We’d love to see your Cameron’s Seafood Maryland recipes-share your images on any of our social pages, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter be sure to tag us @cameronsseafoodonline

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