From sea to steaming seafood

I enjoyed a delicious crab - - er, half a crab, actually - - in Newport, Oregon. My guy was a good-sized Dungeness, featuring a rugged and resistant “exoskeleton” that blocked easy access to the tender flesh that resides inside.

I was provided a sort of crab-cracker along the lines of nutcrackers I’ve used in the past and a small, but mighty fork with offset tines that were effective for twisting, tearing and then probing and extracting.

Every morsel was precious and tasty. I worked hard to push, pull, pry, suck, lick or slide even the tiniest chunks of white flesh out of its casement and into my ready maw - - by way of a little cup of drawn butter.

I intend to make a similar foray onto eastern docks - - perhaps in Newport Rhode Island - - and to sample Atlantic crab. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and score some soft-shell crab made to seem so desirable by Jack Nicholson in “As good as it gets.”

Though the tourist season has clearly not yet arrived, I found the people of Newport to be friendly and forthcoming. As is my style, I engaged several in conversation - - including a pair of crab-boat owners who told me that it’s still possible to make a living on the sea, but not easy.

One of the pair admitted that without his wife’s income - - she’s a nurse - - and fringe benefits, he might not be able to afford to continue. He also admitted that his boat is for sale.

Residents of this once-isolated community seem proud of their town and didn’t display the “I-got-to-get-outa-this-place” attitude I’ve found to be prevalent in small cities this far away from the nearest big one.

A good road - - currently under repair - - links Newport to Corvallis; it’s about an hour’s drive. But when the town was founded, it was nearly inaccessible by land. An unwillingness to raise funds to extend the railroad further delayed the establishment of a land-link, though ships were able to navigate to the railhead.

Today, Newport is one of a number of scenic and memorable seaside stops along highway 101 – the Pacific Coast Highway (or “Pea See Aitch,” as it’s known in southern California). Tourism may be the biggest industry, but the mountains of crab traps parked near the docks and dozens of boats in the harbor indicate that fishing remains an important part of the culture and economy of this picturesque seaport.

Having heard that the oceans are being emptied of their bounty and are in danger of serving only as the site for “farming” domesticated seafood, I wondered whether crabs might be an endangered species.

I didn’t find any specific facts regarding changes in the crustacean’s population; but then I learned that mama crabs produce about two and a half million eggs at a time and I’m guessing that we’ll have crabs around for a while longer.

Half a Dungeness was plenty for me; but I’m already looking forward to repeating the exercise on the other coast. I also ingested a raw oyster “shooter” which, to be frank, I found unsatisfying and a glass of root beer. The total bill, including a tip, was $13.

It might be nice to get out on one of those boats; but, to be honest, I got a little queasy from the rolling motion of the dock. Those folks who are able to actually perform hard work while being rocked and rolled around on the open sea are certainly a breed apart.

The two I spoke with were a bit crabby at first, but they warmed up after a few minutes and their love for the sea and their work was evident.

I’m tempted to make one more dash to the coast while I’m still in Oregon. I’m hearing good reports on Tillamook, which is famous for cheese. I’m thinking that a crab Po’ Boy smothered in fresh cheese might be worth the trip…