Chesapeake Treasure: Stewed Jimmies
‘Stewed Jimmies’ is a traditional fall and early winter dish from Smith island, Maryland - an isolated offshore island community in the Chesapeake Bay, nine miles west of Crisfield. Every fall, as water temperatures begin to cool, crab potters working in the deeper waters of the mainstem of the Chesapeake and Tangier Sound will start to catch large male ‘Jimmy’ crabs as they move down the bay in preparation for winter hibernation.
Most watermen will sell any crabs that they catch for picking or for the ‘basket market,’ so bringing crabs home for eating cuts directly into their revenue for the season. But many watermen will save the largest of the Jimmies – true #1’s – for their own families and this unique seasonal dish.
These Jimmy crabs have been building up fat reserves to help them survive three to four months buried in the bottom of the bay. The sweet flavor from the fat, combined with the fullness of the meat in the body, make the late-season crab a favorite among Chesapeake connoisseurs.
The love of food and tradition is the common glue for most islanders. On the day we gathered in Janice Marshall’s kitchen to prepare this dish, it was like a reunion. Islanders who live on and off the island made a point to come over for this special occasion and keep the tradition of ‘Stewed Jimmies’ very much alive and well.
