Crab Basics: Preparation and Cooking

 

Crabs are members of the decapod crustacean family (Brachyura). They feature a very short tail that projects outward, a single pair of claws, and a thick exoskeleton. They typically live in oceans around the world, buy many thrive in fresh water as well as on land. Crabs can be very small or large. For instance, the Japanese spider crab can grow to have a leg span of up to 13 feet wide!

There are thousands of species of crabs. In the U.S. and Canada, the most popular crabs used for seafood are the large Dungeness crab, Alaskan king crab, blue crab and snow crab. The Dungeness crab has a lot of meat, while the blue crab is small with a delectable meat. The Alaskan king crab is popular due to its abundance of tender white meat in the legs. In Europe, the brown crab and spider crab are popular. Crab is also a favorite seafood in other countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, Portugal, Spain, China and France.

 

Hard or Soft Shell Crab

A crab will lose its shell occasionally to grow a new, larger one during the growth process. This process is called molting. Within just a few hours of losing its old shell, the crab will grow in size after taking in a lot of water. Then the crab is left with a new soft shell for a few days. The new shell will eventually harden.

When crabs are caught during this molting process, they are sold on the market with a soft shell. This is why you sometimes have a choice between hard or soft shells when buying crabs. Crabs with a soft shell tend to have a better flavor and more tender meat.

 

Buying Crab for Home Cooking

Just as with lobsters, crabs can be purchased live or frozen to cook at home. For crab meat packages, it's best to buy meat that has been pre-cooked, tinned, pasteurized or frozen. Crab meat can be eaten as a main entree or used in soups, salads, sandwiches, dips, appetizers and pates.

Buy live crabs from a local fish market if possible to get the freshest and best meat. Or consider going online to a gourmet food website to buy pre-cooked crab meat, which can be delivered to your door. Gourmet food sites offer very high quality food although you will pay a little more for quality. You can also buy crab from a supermarket if this is your only option. Whenever buying live crabs, be sure the crabs are moving about and look healthy. Never buy a dead crab, as the meat will likely be spoiled. Crabs should smell salty and fresh, not "fishy" or like ammonia.

If a recipe calls specifically for a male or female crab, you can tell them apart by the bottom of the shell. A female will have an area shaped like a triangle on the bottom side of her shell. Once you purchase crabs, try to cook and eat them as soon as possible, or store in the refrigerator up to two days. Place live crabs in a container that allows them to breathe freely and cover with damp cloths or paper towels.

 

Crab and Nutrition

Crab has plenty of nutritional value as it contains a number of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Some of the nutrients in crab include selenium (aids in cancer prevention), protein, zinc, potassium, essential fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and chromium (increases good cholesterol in the body). It also has very few calories and is low in fat.

 

Popular Cooking Methods for Crab

There are a number of cooking methods for crab, all of which are similar to cooking lobster. You can cook a crab whole or buy just the crab legs. To boil a live crab, boil enough water to completely cover the crabs and add a tablespoon or more of salt to the water (unless using sea water). Once the water is boiling, grab the crab by the back legs and drop in the pot head first. As with lobster, there are arguments as to whether boiling live crab is inhumane. You can research this topic on the Internet and determine with which cooking method you feel most comfortable.

Once the water comes to a boil again after adding the crabs, reduce the heat to a simmer. The crabs should simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (for larger sized crabs) and about 8 to 10 minutes for smaller ones. Once done, the crab's shell will be an orange color. You can serve it immediately hot with melted butter, or allow the crabs to cool down and refrigerate the meat for later. Crab meat can be eaten cold or warm.

To steam a live crab, pour two cups of water, one cup of vinegar and two tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil. While the water is heating up, place the crabs in a bowl and into the freezer for about five minutes. This will stun them and prevent their claws and legs from making movements while steaming. Place crabs on a steaming rack well above the liquid and sprinkle with a seasoning of choice. Steam for about 20 minutes over medium-to-hot steam; then rinse with cool water and serve.

If you buy just the crab legs, you can steam, boil, bake or microwave these. When baking, the temperature should be 350 degrees F for eight to nine minutes.

 

How to Remove Crab Meat

Twist off the claws and legs and place to the side. Push the body upwards to separate it from the shell. Discard parts that are not edible (mouth, intestines, stomach, gills, etc.) Scoop out the meat (body meat it is brownish in color). Split open the legs and then crack the claws to open. This will give you access to the delicious white meat inside!

You can freeze the cooked crab meat for about four months or store in the refrigerator for two days. It's best when eaten on the same day.

Serve the crab meat with melted butter, lemon juice or cocktail sauce for a tasty meal. Or try various recipes to create amazing crab entrees. Crab meat makes a great delicacy to serve to guests at parties or to use as an appetizer for a large seafood dinner.

Here's a delicious crab recipe to try...

 

APPETIZER CRAB

·         2 cans (6 oz.) crab

·         8 oz. cream cheese, softened

·         1 c. sour cream

·         1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

·         1 tsp. grated onion

·         1/8 tsp. garlic salt

·         Parmesan cheese

 

Mix cheese and sour cream. Add rest of ingredients and stir to mix, or mix at low speed on electric mixer. Place in baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly. Spread on crackers or appetizer breads.

 

 

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