This Labor Day, our neighbors on the Eastern Shore celebrated the 71st anniversary of the annual Crisfield Maryland Hard Crab Derby Festival; for 55 years the Annual Crab Cooking Contest has played a major role. Crisfield is a rather close neighbor to this area, that is, as the crow flies. Not only close but similar in their heritage—watermen making a living from what the Chesapeake Bay and surround waters have to offer.

This year’s crab cooking contest invited cooks from both Maryland and Virginia, and also three residents of Arizona, to create their special dishes for the final judging. As contestants arrived, usually three cooking at a time, each was provided with one pound of Maryland Blue crabmeat. From that point on with recipe in hand, the competition began. 

Twenty-six recipes were registered and entered in the four categories which included Appetizers, Main Dishes, Soups/Salads and Crab Cakes. Of this number, the list had the names of only six Crisfield area residents. “We had so many new people to enter this year,” co-chairman Mary Anne Adkins said as a big smile crossed her face. There were husband and wife, brothers and other family members competing, the Albert family being the most represented. It seems that for many years (“it’s quite a few”) the Alberts have been holding a family reunion at nearby Janes Island State Park on Labor Day weekend. This year three brothers and two of their daughters took time from play and entered the contest, each in a separate division. They took back to the park three first-place ribbons.

This contest was judged, just like many other such events, on a point score sheet. These are the seven factors to consider: appearance, overall flavor, crab flavor, originality, texture, clear concise directions, and ease of preparation. Using 1-7 rating scale—1-3 poor, 4-6 average and 7 excellent—each dish is scored and totaled before the next dish is tasted. First-, second- and third-place winners are determined when the four judges’ totals for each dish are added together. From the four first-place entries, the judges must then agree on the best of the best: the grand-prize winner.

Cooking contests the world over are constantly introducing new ideas, trends and the combination of various foods. The Crisfield Crab Cooking Contest did just that. Waffles with crab or waffles filled with crab were brought to the front by three entries, truly a new idea.

Crisfield, known as “The Crab Capital of the World,” is exactly where a crab cooking contest should be held. With awards of $50 to $100 plus an extra $100 for best in show, the 2018 contestants are already thinking and planning on what they’d come up with for next year. And those trying this year’s recipes will be pleasantly pleased and enjoying what they have in hand.