Extravagance is something luxurious and rare. It is usually something expensive and beyond the ordinary. When you live someplace that has a particular thing that in other parts of the world is considered extraordinary it should make you pause. In Florida, we have oranges, mangoes and blueberries. We have spiny lobsters, which are considered less extravagant than the Maine lobster. We have oysters from Apalachicola Bay. By far, stone crab claws are my most favored. They are extra special in that they are seasonal and I am slightly allergic to crabs. I eat only 1 or 2 claws. I abstain from all other crab meats, even when I make my crab cakes. When the stone crabs go out of season, I stop eating crabs until next Fall.
When I walked into, Northwest Seafood, my local fish market of Friday, I was rewarded with this discovery. It was a perfect closure to a long, arduous week. I can make that sauce so famous from Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami. We lingered over these claws, savoring each one. Then I made fettecini alfredo from sratch and a garlicy caesar salad. A toast to a great week and a start of a great weekend.