I have eaten all kinds of crab, prepared all kinds ways, but I don't know when I've had so much fun as when I went hunting for land crabs. First off, the best time to go "hunting" is when it is a very dark moonless night. While you wait, it is best to have a few cold cervezas to prepare for the evenings events. Gather your hunting gear ... that would be a large cloth sack, flashlight, a long stick and a cooler with a few more beers.
Gather your hunting crew together ..... we found that we needed 4 people ... one to use the flashlight, the beam of light serves to blind the crab and momentarily stops it from running away, one to hold the bag, one to use the long stick and either sweep the prized crab into the bag or let the pincher grab onto it and drop in the sack, and of course, one to serve the cold beer.These tasty crustaceans can get up to 6 inches across so be careful not to get pinched, do NOT grab your crab.....it can be quite painful ! It is not unusual to have a crab take a stand and rear up and wave his claws at you. This is not a sign of a friendly greeting so make sure you have a long stick! Care must also be taken that none of your hunting party steps in a crab hole and twists an ankle, in addition, there is usually quite a bit of laughter, so do NOT wet your pants from excessive laughing!
Land crab hunting is not for the faint of heart ... I have even had nightmares of this hunting expedition ....... so be forewarned!
OK, we take our prized bounty back to the resort kitchen and the next afternoon we are rewarded with a yummy dish of crabs and rice presented by the chef. This was a wonderful local dish that was seasoned just right. I chose to pair my feast with a buttery Chardonnay and it complimented the crab perfectly, but the rest of the group continued with the same cold cerveza as the night before.
Wine food pairing, is truly a challenge! CHEERS!
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