Florida Stone Crab Claws with Mustard Sauce
Inside: How to cook, crack and serve stone crab like a Floridian, plus the famous mustard stone crab sauce you can make in two minutes at home with everyday ingredients.
Stone crab claws are a Florida seafood delicacy traditionally served chilled with a simple mustard sauce made for dipping the claws into. It’s a classic pairing that makes an irresistible seafood appetizer or meal.
As a Florida resident for over 30 years, I’ve enjoyed my fair share of stone crabs, specifically crab claws. Whether dining out at Joe’s in Miami or sourcing them from a local fishmonger, it’s a delicious shellfish treat you’ll love, especially with the mustard stone crab sauce.
Why you’ll love this stone crab recipe:
- The claws are sold pre-cooked to preserve their freshness, so all you need to do is crack them and mix up the easy stone crab sauce.
- If you’re an angler and caught your crab, cooking them is easy.
- The easy technique for cracking the claws requires no fancy equipment; you only need a dish towel and a spoon.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Stone Crab Claws–If you’re buying crab, it will come cooked and chilled. Fishmongers can’t sell live crab or uncooked claws. Good news for you, because it’s less work. If you’ve caught your own crab, it’s just a matter of twisting off the larger of the two claws and steaming them.
- Mayonnaise–We like Duke’s or Hellman’s
- Dijon Mustard–I use Grey Poupon or Maille work well, though any Dijon mustard works.
- Lemon Juice–freshly squeezed will give you the best flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce–I use Lea and Perrin’s.
- Hot Sauce–Use your favorite hot sauce.
Step by step instructions:
- If you’ve caught your crab in a trap, you’ll want to remove the claw cleanly, so that it doesn’t injure the crustacean and they can go on to live and grow a new claw. I’ve found two methods:
- This one from Florida Sportsman doesn’t require any special equipment, but may take some practice.
- This one from Reel Tease Fishing uses a knife to pinpoint the release point precisely so that the shellfish gives up the claw without injury.
2. Rinse the claws under cold running water, then refrigerate for an hour. Bring an inch of water to a boil in a steamer pot (a pot with a separate steamer insert that rests above the boiling water). Fill the steamer insert with the claws and steam for 10 minutes until the crab is cooked through.
3. For serving the traditional chilled method, transfer the steamed claws to a platter to cool then refrigerate until cold.
To serve warm, let the claws rest on a platter at room temperature for a few minutes to cool.
4. If serving chilled, assemble the mustard sauce for stone crabs by combining mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk well and season with several drops of hot sauce, if you like a little heat.
For a dipping sauce to enjoy the shellfish warm, melt half a stick of butter and season with 2-3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and a few drops of hot sauce to taste.
5. Crack the claws by placing one in a dish towel (this is to soak up any juices that drain out). Use the back of the spoon to whack firmly against the shell until it cracks.
Turn the claw over and whack it again until you see definitive cracks along the shell. Continue to crack the knuckles and joints until each segment is fragmented enough to separate the meat from its shell.
6. Arrange the cracked crab on a platter. Serve chilled claws with the mustard stone crab sauce or warm claws with the warm lemon butter sauce for dipping.
Pro-Tips:
- The shells are incredibly thick and strong—much sturdier than those of blue or King crabs—and challenging to break through with a standard pair of crackers or a mallet. I’ve suffered deep cuts (worthy of stitches) from poorly cracked shells, so be thorough.
- If you’re ambivalent about cracking them properly (and plan to eat the seafood that day), ask your fishmonger to crack them and keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
- If you buy the seafood a few days in advance, it’s better to crack them yourself. Otherwise, they can lose their moisture if they sit too long in the fridge.
- For convenience, industrial claw crackers are available at many Florida fishmongers.
- Don’t buy pre-made mustard sauce. It’s cheaper and easier to make it yourself.
FAQs
Stone crab season in Florida runs from October 15 through May 1.
No, you can only eat the claws.
If you’re serving them as an appetizer, I usually recommend one pound per person. Each pound yields about three ounces of meat.
If you’re serving as a meal, go with 1¼ to 1½ pounds per person (depending on appetites and your budget).
The claws are easily removed from the carapace–a protective measure for the crab against predators–take the claw, leave the crab. Though taking both claws is legal, it leaves the crab with no way to defend itself. Therefore, many fishermen only remove one.
The claw takes about one year (or one molting season to grow back). The longer the crustacean retains its appendage, the larger it gets, so the big clawed behemoths are pretty crafty at avoiding predators and fisherman’s pots.
Yes. In Florida, professional and recreational licenses are available for purchase, and there are limits to how much you can harvest.
About mustard stone crab sauce
You can’t have this seasonal favorite without the famous stone crab dipping sauce as an accompaniment.
Every Florida restaurant has its own version—the one from Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami is probably the most famous. It uses Coleman’s Dry mustard, mayonnaise and A-1 sauce.
Yes, you can buy stone crab sauce at your fishmonger, but I recommend making it yourself because you probably already have the ingredients in your fridge and pantry. It’s easy to assemble in less than 5 minutes and pairs perfectly with the sweet crab meat.
This sauce softens the flavor of the mustard for stone crabs, and it’s legit.
What sizes do stone crabs come in?
The size categories include Medium, Large, Jumbo, Colossal, and even Super Colossal. Stone crabs (like scallops and shrimp) are priced based on size. The larger they are, the more pricey they tend to be.
If you’re ordering the crab claws through the mail, remember there will also be a hefty shipping fee.
| Size | Claws Per Pound | Avg. Price |
| Medium | 6-8 | $25-$30/lb |
| Large | 4-5 | $30-$35/lb |
| Jumbo | 3 | $40-$50/lb |
| Colossal/Super Colossal | 2 | $50-$70/lb |
Although there’s no difference in taste between the Medium and Colossal, there is a bigger “WOW” factor the larger you go.
What to serve with this delicacy?
Here in Florida, we treat stone crab claws the same way you’d treat a ribeye in a steak house… Served with standard steakhouse-type accompaniments. The chilled claws and mustard sauce go great with these classic sides:
- Pan Fried Potatoes
- French Fries
- Creamed Spinach
- Lemony Steamed Asparagus
- Cheddar Chive Popovers
- Classic Wedge Salad
More Florida seafood you’ll love:
- Mahi Mahi Sandwich
- Florida Style Smoked Whitefish Dip
- Conch Chowder
- Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Olive Relish
- Conch Fritters
- Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Glaze
Florida Stone Crabs with Mustard Stone Crab Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 pounds stone crab claws
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ lemon juiced
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- hot sauce to taste
DIRECTIONS:
FOR THE MUSTARD SAUCE:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, worstershire sauce and lemon juice. Add hot sauce to taste and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
FOR STONE CRABS:
- Most fish mongers will crack stone crabs for you if you ask them. It's fine to do that if you're going to be eating the crabs the same day. If you're going to wait for a day or two, it's best to crack them yourself to maintain their freshness.
TO CRACK THE STONE CRABS WITH A SPOON:
- Hold a dishtowel in your non dominant hand. Place a crab claw in the dish towel and using the back of a heavy metal spoon, whack the claw in several places to crack the shell.
- You want to make sure you've cracked it in enough spots that you'll be able to get the meat out, while simultaneously being careful not to crush the shell and send small shards into the meat.
- Transfer the cracked claws to a platter and scatter with lemon wedges. Serve with mustard dipping sauce on the side.
NUTRITION:
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Fantastic recipe! I substituted Creole Mustard for the Dijon and it turned out great. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
This is amazing! Thank you.
The sauce is amazing. I appreciate the tip on using a heavy spoon to crack the shells, too. My fishmonger didn’t do a great job, but I was able to salvage, thanks to that advice.
Very informative post and that mustard sauce is easy and delicious.
Stone crab is not always served cold. I’m a native Floridian and stone crabs can be served either hot or cold and there’s nothing unappetizing about hot.
My favorite recipe . I add brown sugar and a hint of dill and dried pepper. Perfect.
These are so good!!! The sauce is spot on!!! Thank you, great recipe!
How long do you cook these things?
Stone crabs are pre cooked for commercial sale. You don’t have to cook them. If you’re catching them yourself, bring a pot of water to a boil, place the claws in the water and simmer for 6 minutes, then immediately transfer to an ice bath and chill completely.
Your photography has my mouth watering! Homesick for the flavors of south Florida
So glad you like the pix, Nola! South Florida misses you too!