Can you pick a single favorite food? For years, I didn’t think I could: I like to eat too many things. Recent reconsideration made me focus on one: fried (blue) crab claws. A few conditions apply–the crab must be fresh and not frozen (the crabmeat sticks to the claw’s featherbone when frozen), the breading must be minimal, and the clawfingers must be served piping hot. Casamento’s fried crab claws are the platonic ideal (and not just because they’re fried in lard). Spahr’s clawfingers, pictured above, are a solid example of the dish.
Aside: what’s the point of the buttered toast served beneath fried seafood? Does anyone besides my (artery-clogged) father actually eat the toast?
Bouillie 
The toast is to prevent fried seafood from sliding off the plate. The first night of my first waitress job in college, I dumped a plate of fried oysters in a customers lap. Lucky for me, it was my Dad. He quietly picked up each oyster and placed it back on his plate and ate them. He assured me it was the cooks fault for not putting the oysters on toast and left me a $20 tip.
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Hi Diana–thanks for the kind words. How nice of your dad to give you a big tip on your first night! Mmm, now I have fried oysters on the brain…maybe I’ll go to Casamento’s soon.
I thought it was meant to absorb grease? I don’t remember if someone told me that or if I made it up. I do eat the bread under the fried seafood plates at Charlie’s Seafood. Rather than white toast hey use good buttered french bread, like the garlic bread at Mandina’s but not quite as much butter.
I can see how the toast would blot the grease puddle, which might otherwise pool at the bottom of the plate.
I told you so!!
Why would I believe someone who eats greasy toast? Ha.
Until recently, my favorite food has been avocado. Now it is fritto misto.
Fried….the best food group of all.
where can i get the recipe for this????
No recipe needed: get a pound of “cocktail clawfingers”, aka peeled crab claws. Beat an egg with a cup of milk, dip the claws in the milk/egg, then coat with cornmeal, seasoned with a little cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Fry in lard until golden. That’s it.