Stone Crab Claws

Florida-Style Steamed Stone Crab Claws

Stone crab claws are a Florida classic — prized for their sweet, succulent meat. They're traditionally served cold with a mustard-mayo dipping sauce, but here they're gently steamed just until warmed through to keep the meat tender.

Prep

10 min

Cook

8 min

Total

18 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) stone crab claws, medium to large, already cooked (stone crab claws are sold pre-cooked on ice)
• •15 g (1 tbsp) sea salt, for boiling water
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) mayonnaise
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard, or spicy brown mustard for a sharper kick
• •5 ml (1 tsp) prepared horseradish, drained
• •2 ml (½ tsp) Worcestershire sauce
• •1 ml (¼ tsp) smoked paprika
• •1 g (pinch) cayenne pepper, optional, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, and cayenne until smooth. Cover and chill while you heat the claws.
2. 2 Fill a large stockpot with water to a depth of about 5 cm (2 in), add the salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. (You're steaming, not submerging — the rack or claws should sit above the water.)
3. 3 Place a steamer rack in the pot. If you don't have one, use a small inverted heatproof metal trivet or a folded ball of aluminum foil to keep the claws above the waterline.
4. 4 Arrange the stone crab claws on the rack in a single layer. Cover tightly with a lid.
5. 5 Steam for 5–8 minutes, until the claws are thoroughly hot all the way through. Test by cracking one open — the meat should be piping hot with steam rising from the shell. The claws are already cooked when you buy them, so the goal is simply to warm them without overcooking the meat, which turns tough and dry.
6. 6 Transfer the claws to a platter and serve immediately, with kitchen shears, a nutcracker, and small picks alongside the mustard sauce.
7. 7 To eat: Snip the top of the shell along the joint with shears, then pull back the shell to expose the meat. Crack the claw with a nutcracker just enough to loosen the meat — don't pulverize it.