On a 3.06-square-mile piece of Maryland in Somerset County, located on Tangier Sound, the people of Crisfield have done it again. As in the last 69 years, they honored the town’s title “Crab Capital of the World” in the National Hard Crab Derby.
For 52 years, the Crab Cooking Contest has been a big part of the derby. Cooks from the Eastern Shore to the Western Shore arrive early on a Friday morning in September ready to prepare what they think to be the best crab dish in the world.
The standard rules require an original recipe using at least one pound of crabmeat. This year’s event was set up into sections: appetizers, soups and salads, and main dishes including crab cakes. Each category had three placements, and the top entries competed for the grand prize.
By mid-afternoon when the judges had finished tasting and added their scores, the appetizer called Caribbean Crab Sliders was unanimously given the grand prize award. Amy Brennan of Seaford, the only V...