Crustaceans

Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Crayfish

Appears in
The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood: Culinary Treasures from Our Waters

By John Ash

Published 2023

  • About
All crustaceans belong to the enormous family of decapods, meaning ten-limbed. They are believed to have lived on Earth for up to four hundred million years. Their spidery limbs hide delicious, sweet flesh. Crustaceans interestingly can only grow if they periodically cast off their exoskeleton or shell and grow a new, larger one. During this short period of growing a new shell, they become known as “soft shells” and are highly vulnerable. They are delicious at this point and you can eat them shell and all.