Carapace, Legs, Claws and Roe

Carapace, Legs, Claws and Roe is a book uncovered through use of Study-related Inquiries by Coel.

## History

Having heard tales of a crab of gargantuan proportions residing within the waters of the Bay of the Ghost Crab from a friend of her uncle, Moxzi Bluhedd organised an expedition to hunt down the beast. To this purpose, the culinary-minded adventurer Coel sought out recipes featuring the crustaceans in hopeful anticipation of a bounty of supplies to come in the near future.

In their urgency, or perhaps satisfaction at the information learned, they only read about two-thirds of the tome, leaving the rest untouched.

## Reading

### Completed by Coel

Variations and nuances in culture as displayed in culture has always proven to be a point of fascination, and one of the driving forces for my ongoing travels around the continent. Much and more can be learned of a Realm by the nature of the food its populace enjoys, whether considering where focus is placed - that of nutrition, storage, presentation or elsewise, including that of the sourcing and treatment of the ingredients. When considering food such as crab - and by extension many of those ingredients that fulfil a similar niche, that of lobster, crayfish and to a lesser extent shrimps and prawns. It would not be until my travels started that I first encountered the sumptuous nature of crabmeat, given that in noble Atral circles, such creatures are instead considered the food of the commoners, given their overabundance along the coastlines of the Cobalt Sea. For the aristocracy, other sources of sustenance with a greater sense of exclusivity were instead sought out, but that has not stopped crabs, lobsters and likewise from being enjoyed across the continent. In this tome, we will consider six examples from all corners of the continent - that of Lachlen, the Giado Territories, Sunstone, Gawylthlan, Courrakey and the Duchies of Tynd.

### Lachlen - Ius

Derived from the regional slang from the process of straining the final product to ensure its smoothness, Ius is a smooth and creamy soup created using the ground shells of crabs and similar crustaceans, combined with softened onions and garlic, alongside bay laurel, boxwood basil, vinegar and oil, and then cohered with thick and nutrient-rich aurochs cream and fine-milled flour. The mixture is then strained as aforementioned, and traditionally served with unleavened bread and a scattering of white flower petals and an optional dash of fortified white wine to taste.

### The Giado Territories - Pepperfoam Soft-Shell Crab

Fermented in a sauce that finds its foundations in the famed Giadoese Pepper - usually in their dried and powdered form - this particular preparation of crab both marinates the crab, but also helps to preserve it, allowing for its future consumption during the months when the ever-tumultuous Brumal Deep grew too troublesome to allow for fishing to readily occur. Soft-shell crabs, that is a crab that has recently moulted its old shell to allow for growth, are most commonly used, and thus in contrast to the other dishes detailed here, near all the crab can be enjoyed, save the mouthparts, gills and lower shell, further stretching the food source when the storms start to draw close.

### Sunstone - Sopaesa

With an etymology pertaining to a slang term for "leftovers", Sopaesa is a heavily spiced rice based casserole, traditionally cooked atop pine branches and cones in large pans. Along the coast, seafood such as white fish and crab are commonly used, whereas further inland beans and lean game meats are more frequently utilised. Although exceptions exist, it is considered uncouth to combine both meat and fish within such dishes, and doing so in liable to cause a great deal of affront to Sunar people, as well documented in the finale of the Scrivener-written play "Dawn to Dusk." As such, while market stalls across the Ahlusian continent may claim to produce authentic Sopeasa, a connoisseuring eye will be able to quickly dispute this fact on the basis that pork, game and shellfish are commonly found in combination in such occurrences. The spices paprika and annatto are common flavour notes, although use of Giadoese peppers have grown in popularity - although this too is certainly not considered traditional.

### Gawylthlan - Crab Jelly Pie

Although traditionally made from pork, mutton, beef and beans further inland, a variation on the traditional pies of the Gawylthian people are actively enjoyed by those residing along the coast, or upon the banks of the Long Divide, River Lan or River Ender. In place of more terrestrial ingredients, crabmeat and other fish is ground to a paste, combined with sour cream and seasonings and bound within a hot water crust, made by mixing lard with hot water, adding water and shaping to encase the filling. Usually, a jellied stock - either that of a meat or fish to match its foundation - is poured into the sealed pastry immediately after baking, sealing the contents and reducing spoiling.