July 26, 2016 — They have green backs, pink bellies and are only about 2 inches in diameter. The green crab is an invasive predator that’s been destroying clam and scallop populations from South Carolina to Maine — since they were introduced here two centuries ago.
Now, some New England chefs are looking for ways to put this invasive species – on the menu.
“I’m probably gonna upset some of my fisherman friends,” says Brendan Vesey, the chef at The Joinery, an upscale restaurant in Newmarket, N.H. “Because I think Tuna is delicious, and I understand why we catch it, but I currently don’t serve it.”
Why? He says – eating that one big predator at the top of the food chain throws off the whole ecosystem. Instead of seared tuna steaks Vesey serves invasive Green Crab Bisque, with seared fish, fresh peas, and house-made bacon.
Fisherman Everett Leach stops by the restaurant to drop 20 pounds of green crabs, clawing and crawling in a plastic bucket. As he stops one from escaping, another crawls out of the bucket.
“Keep an eye on ‘em, they’re runners,” he warns Vesey.