This instantly kills the crab. They will go limp or lifeless after a while. Grasp crab by its legs and under top shell spine (stunned and can be handled bare handed). Here’s how it’s done:Remove the top shell, scrape away the gills, cut off the mouth, snap off the claws and the legs, and scoop out the fat. Now you're ready to fill it with crab salad, or a seasoned crab/breadcrumb mixture for baked stuffed crab. Removing the Meat: 1. How to Clean Blue Crab before Cooking On a deep large pot submerge crabs in running hot water. Get maximum yield with EVERY CRAB! To clean the crab: begin by removing the top shell. Cooking Live Crab: Cooking crabs alive – This can be a bit of a challenging feat because live crabs are feisty but the scrumptious rewards make the undertaking worth your while. Spray the inside of the crabs with a hose and set aside. 2. There Are a Myriad of Ways to Prepare This Sea Creature. Be sure to remove the crab's green gland (tomalley). If you're drying the shell, give it a soapy scrub as well before leaving it in a warm, dry spot to dry out. know where to start With this said, a layer of ice should be placed on the bottom of the ice chest, followed by wet burlap, and then the crabs. I cook my crabs in fresh water in a large pot and to the water I had approx 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar. I’ve used numerous blue crab recipes over the years. Mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins are especially harmful to babies and young children. Toss the whole cleaned crabs (or halves or quarters depending on the size) with some olive oil and maybe a minced clove of garlic or two, plus some chopped rosemary or thyme leaves if you like. With your thumb or a knife point, pry off apron flap on the under side of crab. For most of us, eating blue crabs is something that we've learned over the years from watching our dads and older brothers. After spraying the crab clean, there will be nothing left but shell and succulent crab meat. 5. ; Set them on a hot grill until cooked through and browned, about 4 minutes per side. Growing up with grandparents on the Potomac river in Coles Point, Virginia, it was only natural that from a young age picking crabs on a picnic table loaded with newspaper was something I call a food "Life Lesson. Allow each crab to cook for approximately 15 minutes (once they float to the top, give them an extra 2-3 minutes). Boil or steam the crabs as outlined above for about 5 minutes, let them cool, then clean them. Cover the pot, put it on the stove or over a hot campfire, and bring the water to a rolling boil. Stun live blue crab by placing in ice water for five minutes. CBYC. Of course, lots of folks enjoy simple steamed blue crabs with some melted butter, cocktail sauce, … Take a layer of foil wrapper and wrap the blue crab again. Once it has completely cooled down, take a layer of cling wrapper and wrap each blue crab individually. 1. Use water pressure from a garden hose to spray out the gills and digestive tract. Live crab (fresh meat) should not be stored in the fridge. Crack claws, and remove meat with a small cocktail fork. Tie a chicken neck on the end of the line. 3. The crabs are now ready to be cooked. 3. Lay crab on its back and using the knife remove the apron/abdomen of the crab. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil over a stovetop. To cook the crab, fill about 3/4th of a big pot with water and throw in a pinch of salt. When cooked, the crabs will turn a bright red. When the water is boiling, drop your crabs into the pot. Insert thumb under shell by apron hinge; … Once they are done, drop them briefly into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. This double insulation will prevent any air from getting to the crab. Once you have them sedated you will need a knife, running water, a huge trash bag and a place to put the clean crabs. Clean Before You Cook. I bring the water to the boil then drop in a couple crabs and place a lid on to speed it up coming back to the boil. Cook them for about 25 to 30 minutes. Putting a crab in the fridge will kill them and you should never cook a dead crab. Turn crab right side up again. Plus, it's an interesting enough sea food, that is surprisingly rather easy to cook. I also love crab legs and crawfish.. Start brushing the underside with a toothbrush or wait when the crab is lifeless. While eating crab in restaurants is fun, it's always a good thing, and a whole different experience, to buy one from the market and cook it at your own leisure. To prevent the crab from drying out, you must boil or steam the meat. Leave it in the water for five minutes. They go on to say if facilities for slushing do not exist, the blue crabs may be kept alive with ice, as long as they are protected from direct contact with the ice. Be sure not to pack them in too tightly. Pour the beer and vinegar in the bottom of the steamer pot. Get a bucket and put a wet rag in the bottom. Use a garden hose to spray out the crab, leaving it clean and free of digestive tract and gill material. We'll here are some instructions on how to clean the crab and get to the delicious meat in four easy steps. Drain the cooked crabs in a large colander and put them under cold running water so that they can cool down to room temperature. Once they are deemed ready, let them sit in some cold water for a while and cool down a little. Using the tongs, pick up a crab and place it in the bucket of ice water. Whether you catch the crabs yourself or buy them at your local fishmonger, you'll need to clean them thoroughly before cooking and eating. How to Eat Blue Crabs Like a Pro. DANGER. Then, clean your crabs. Rinse under cold running water. Pry off the top shell using the shell's spine for leverage. "All in all, everything you have heard is true: it is messy, it requires some patience, it is work to get to the meat, but in the end, it is well worth it. Scrub exterior shells and remove entrails, as chemicals concentrate in the crab’s digestive organs. Similar to baking, grilled crabs should be pre-cooked half way—about 5 minutes in boiling water or the steamer—cooled and cleaned before heading to the grill. With your fingers or a knife remove sections a, b, and a (these are the lungs and innards). Cooked crab meat, if stored in an airtight container, can last three to five days refrigerated. 2. Step 1: Prepping the whole crabs Grasp live crabs from behind, firmly holding the back two legs on each side. After the crab is cooked, let it sit to cool down. Add water until there is about 3 inches in the bottom of the pot. 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