In the spirit of the Member-Guest Crab Boil today, we have decided to blog about the correct way to cook, clean & shell a Crab. These pesky crustaceans don't yield their sweet meat easily. Don't get crabby here are some tricks of the trade to help you out.
How to
cook crab
1. Keep live crabs loosely
covered in the refrigerator up to 12 hours. Grasp crabs carefully from the rear
end, between the legs, and put in a pan to make sure they fit, with 3 to 4
inches of clearance below pan rim. Remove crabs and fill pan with enough water
to cover crabs by 2 to 3 inches. Cover pan and bring water to a boil over high
heat.
2. One at a time, grasp crabs
as described above and plunge them headfirst into the boiling water; if you
have too much water, ladle out excess and discard. Cover pan and start timing.
When water resumes boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound
crabs 15 minutes, 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes.
3. Drain crabs; to be able to
handle quickly, rinse briefly with cool water.
How to
clean, crack, & shell crab
1. Pull off and discard
triangular flap from belly side.
2. Turn crab belly side down;
pulling from the rear end, lift off back shell. Drain and discard liquid from
shell. If desired, scoop soft, golden crab butter and white crab fat from shell
into a small bowl to eat by the spoonful with crab or to stir into a dipping
sauce. If using back shell for garnish, break bony section (mouth) from front
end of shell and discard. Rinse shell well and drain.
3. On the body section, pull
off and discard reddish membrane that covers the center (if it hasn't come off
with the back) and any loose pieces. Scoop out any remaining golden butter and
add to bowl. Pull off and discard long, spongy gills from sides of body. Rinse
body well with cool water.
4. Twist legs and claws from
body. Using a nutcracker or wood mallet, crack the shell of each leg and claw
section. With a knife, cut the body into quarters.
5. Break apart legs and claws;
using your fingers, a small fork, a pick, or a crab leg tip, remove meat. Pull
body sections apart and dig out pockets of meat. Discard shells. One cooked,
cleaned 1 3/4- to 2-pound crab (with back shell) yields 7 1/2 to 8 ounces (1
1/3 to 1 1/2 cups) of meat; heavier crabs do not always have more meat.
Enjoy!!!
