Best Place for Jumbo Lump Crab Meat in Philly

[HD73]

Looking to cook up a special crab cake recipe for the girlfriend tonight. Anyone have a bead on the best crab in the city? I'm not usually a crab fiend, so I have no idea. I guess default would be to hit up one of the fishmongers at the RTM, but there are those crab places around the Italian Market too. Any advice?

[Jim Charles]

This time of year when we can't go crabbing and get our own and there is none in the freezer we buy it at BJ's in 1lb. containers.

[rlibkind]

All you're going to find this time of year is packaged pasteurized crab meat, at various price points depending on size of flakes/lumps. Pretty much all comes from Gulf Coast this time of year, and no significant differences among retailers, other than their ability to keep it cold and sell it quickly. I've found the packaged crabmeat at John Yi at the RTM just fine in crab cakes.

As for BJ's, while they have lots of stuff I like (beef for braising is pretty good value), I haven't been impressed with the refrigerated and frozen seafoods, but I haven't tried their crab, so maybe that's an exception.

[HD73]

All you're going to find this time of year is packaged pasteurized crab meat, at various price points depending on size of flakes/lumps. Pretty much all comes from Gulf Coast this time of year, and no significant differences among retailers, other than their ability to keep it cold and sell it quickly. I've found the packaged crabmeat at John Yi at the RTM just fine in crab cakes.

As for BJ's, while they have lots of stuff I like (beef for braising is pretty good value), I haven't been impressed with the refrigerated and frozen seafoods, but I haven't tried their crab, so maybe that's an exception.

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Thanks. I knew it was out of season around here, just wasn't sure if it was something worth shopping around for. I think I'll brave the weather and head to the RTM.

[Vadouvan]

All you're going to find this time of year is packaged pasteurized crab meat, at various price points depending on size of flakes/lumps. Pretty much all comes from Gulf Coast this time of year, and no significant differences among retailers, other than their ability to keep it cold and sell it quickly. I've found the packaged crabmeat at John Yi at the RTM just fine in crab cakes.

As for BJ's, while they have lots of stuff I like (beef for braising is pretty good value), I haven't been impressed with the refrigerated and frozen seafoods, but I haven't tried their crab, so maybe that's an exception.

Bob bob bob.......I thought you were the RTM inventory master......

DAgordon, Philadining and I banged out a tasty crab and roasted parsley risotto this weekend with some mighty fine crab from the seafood place in reading terminal......the big seafood place between Salumeria and I-O-Vine.

Jumbo Lump, fresh not pasteurized.

$22.99 for 1 lb but well worth it.

David ..Phil.....back me up here....

Crabmeat is availlable fresh year round.

Crabmeat does *not* go out of season.

Edited February 14, 2007 by Vadouvan (log)

[dagordon]

Bob bob bob.......I thought you were the RTM inventory master......

DAgordon, Philadining and I banged out a tasty crab and roasted parsley  risotto this weekend with some mighty  fine crab from the seafood place in reading terminal......the big seafood place between Salumeria and I-O-Vine.

Jumbo Lump, fresh not pasteurized.

$22.99 for 1 lb but well worth it.

David ..Phil.....back me up here....

Crabmeat is availlable fresh year round.

Crabmeat does *not* go out of season.

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Well I'll back you up as far as the risotto's being fantastic and the crab in particular delicious, though I think it's a slight misdescription to say that Phil and I banged it out with you

To say the very least, the crab was far better than what Lacroix attempted to serve us that afternoon in a crab and lobster roll, which would have incapacitated us for days had we eaten it...

[Andrew Fenton]

Crabmeat is availlable fresh year round.

Crabmeat does *not* go out of season.

Depends on the species of crab, no? (I notice nobody has mentioned what *kind* of crabmeat they're looking for...) Blue crab season is in the summer, right? But as far as I know, Dungeness is available year round, since the species north-south range is so large.

[dagordon]

Crabmeat is availlable fresh year round.

Crabmeat does *not* go out of season.

Depends on the species of crab, no? (I notice nobody has mentioned what *kind* of crabmeat they're looking for...) Blue crab season is in the summer, right? But as far as I know, Dungeness is available year round, since the species north-south range is so large.

←

Chesapeake bay blue crabs are out of season... but Gulf of Mexico blue crabs, for example, are very much available (and if you go to a Maryland crab place this time of year that's what you'll be getting).

Edited February 15, 2007 by dagordon (log)

[Vadouvan]

and Somehow, Le Bec Fin serves the same crabcakes year round.

The point is due to the world fishery trade and the advent of air transportation,crabmeat which is now essentially a commoditycan be gotten from somewhere all year round to the degree that seasonality is a moot point.

Think also in some issues of "season" the season isnt based on the life of the product as mush as how many human beings die during it's harvesting.

See the movie "The perfect Storm".

Better yet the reality show.....

This is the best thing I have ever seen on TV period.

http://shopping.discovery.com/product-58357.html

[philadining]

Yep, awesome risotto with delicate, fresh-tasting crab, but as David said, I can only take credit for banging it down, not banging it out...

But how is that pasteurized stuff you can get in containers at supermarkets, or even in a can at Trader Joes? Of course fresh is better, but how useable is that packaged stuff for something like a crabcake, or scattered in a sauce? (And no, I'm not suggesting a tasting.)

[Vadouvan]

It's awful, it doesnt taste like Crab at all.

The difference between fresh and pasteurized crab is about the same as the difference between fresh and dried basil in July.

The funny thing is some of the people who sell it refrigerate it.......

[rlibkind]

Bob bob bob.......I thought you were the RTM inventory master......

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I stand (well, sit at the moment) humbly corrected, V. Pasteurized is the stuff that largely goes into the cans; the plastic container product at the RTM is fresh, though this time of year it does make a long trip to get here. But it is, as noted earlier, just fine for crab cakes. I actually prefer crabmeat that isn't too large for crabcakes; tends to hold together better with a minimum of binder. Though not too small: you still want to know it's crab meat, not minced ersatz stuff.

[serpentine]

The point is due to the world fishery trade and the advent of air transportation,crabmeat which is now essentially a commoditycan be gotten from somewhere all year round to the degree that seasonality is a moot point

.

I wouldn't call it moot. The blue swimming crab crabmeat imported from Asia is often sold when Chesapeake blue crab crabmeat is out of season (and its cheaper than Gulf crab), but the stuff is nearly flavorless.

[Vadouvan]

I wouldn't call it moot. The blue swimming crab crabmeat imported from Asia is often sold when Chesapeake blue crab crabmeat is out of season (and its cheaper than Gulf crab), but the stuff is nearly flavorless.

Crabmeat can be sourced from at least 20 different places in the world.

It isnt limited to Asia and the Chesapeake.

There is lots of delicious crabmeat that isnt from the chesapeake bay.

I have had fantastic crab in virtually every country I have ever visited and none of it was from the chesapeake bay.