Cromer crab

Whether you’ve been there or not, the mention of Cromer brings to mind the seaside town’s renowned crabs. Cromer, unfortunately marketed as the ‘jewel of Norfolk’, is your standard English seaside town and could readily disappoint the non-crab-eaters, with its skyline view of white caravans on the cliff tops.

Being a purist when it comes to shellfish, I prefer having a whole boiled crab in front of me, so that I know it has been boiled only recently. Unfortunately, the pre-prepared crabs dressed back in the shell are abundant here, so you need to know what to look for in a fresh crab. There is generally a feeling of dryness about them and the brown meat can be like reconstituted sawdust, so the things just scream for mayonnaise. This kind of misses the point for me, and that’s exactly why I’d rather tackle the shells and claws for the moist white meat. The other thing that bugs me is that fishmongers in a town famed for its crabs and seafood — and this is the case not just in Cromer - display crab sticks next to the real thing ... why, I really don’t know.