# Crabs



## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

I was wondering if anyone had a good crab recipe? Last time we were out the only legal thing we caught was crabs the rest were small pups and flounders. Any tips on preparing or cooking would be helpfull thanks.


----------



## BrandyFish (Jul 27, 2005)

steam them with a mixture of beer and apple vinegar......on the steamer rack load them up (whole) with your favorite seasonings and lots of them. steam about 20 min depending on how many


----------



## BubbaBlue (May 11, 2004)

As Brandy said...

And also another suggestion, if you aren't into the MD steamed *whole *crab method... (Yes, I live in MD.)

Dunk the live crab in ice water for 5 minutes or so. This puts him to sleep so you can work with him without losing any skin. Take him out, remove the top shell, lung fingers and hose out the innerds. Put on a steamer rack with some water in the pan. Beer and vinegar not needed. Spice it up with a fair amount of seafood seasoning like Old Bay, Wye River or J.O. Spice. (I prefer J.O. Spice #1 .) Crank up the heat and once the steam starts rolling good, steam for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and leave it off. 

Pre cleaning makes it less of a mess at the table, more of the spice flavor makes into the meat, and some folks just prefer it that way.

I cook them both ways depending on who's eatin' them.

Or some other suggestions that're really good:

Use less of the spice mentioned, add lots of dry ground mustard and lots of ground white pepper. (Spicy.)

Or... less of the spice mentioned, add garlic powder, salt and parmesan cheese. Tried this for the first time last week. It turned out really good... tasted like lobster dipped in garlic butter.  
.


----------



## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

If you don't mind cleaning the crabs before you cook them...

http://blue-crab.org/recipes/njstyle.htm 

My thumbs are still cut up from cracking the crabs open, but I ended up with 5 lbs of meat after 4 hours.


----------



## RoryGoggin (Jan 6, 2005)

BubbaBlue, johnnyleo11, you guys have just renewed my wife's (and my, for that matter)interest in eating blue crabs! Thanks guys!


----------



## shaggy (Jun 18, 2003)

Do as Bubbablue said, ice down, remove shell, lungs and the like, roll into a nice beer batter, and deep fry the sucker. Bit of butter, some Old Bay, eastern shore 'maters and some corn on the cob (for a twist do some steamed shrimp on the side, or some grilled beef, filet mignon, rare to medium rare, with a brown gravy, onions and some portobella mushrooms works for me), some Bud light (red wine will also work), and lordy, lordy, heaven on earth.


----------



## BubbaBlue (May 11, 2004)

Used to do the deep fried method back home in FL many moons ago. 

Watch out when you toss that sucker in though, if the grease is hot (as it should be) it'll splatter all over everything, including you if you ain't careful.  

Hmmm... that's a thought... nah, gonna do the garlic version today. Want some neighbors to try it.    
.


----------



## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I believe in doing them whole and alive, with a can of beer poured in, then an equal amount of white vinegar. Bring it to a boil.

Put down a layer of crabs (have a steamer basket in the bottom so the ones down there don't sit in water and boil), then dump a layer of seasoning. Another layer of crabs, another layer of seasoning. Keep going until you hit the top.

Steam until they turn bright red, crack a beer and enjoy.

I've tried the pre-cleaning method and didn't like it. They lost some of the flavor not having the guts cook along with the meat. Besides, anyone who doesn't eat the mustard is a poseur. 

As for softshells, just cut off the face with kitchen shears, pull out the lungs and guts, a dip in milk, then in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then a couple of minutes in hot olive oil. Keep it simple.

Now I'm hungry...


----------



## BubbaBlue (May 11, 2004)

I like them that way too, flea. Like the pre-cleaned version on occasion because the meat picks up the spice flavor better. Most of the whole cooked version's spice flavor comes from what's on your fingers.  

Shared the garlic recipe with some neighbors today. They loved them.

Got something to share. This should be on the BS board, but it follows this thread, sorta.

This neighbor lady that I shared crabs with today is an old family friend and is a very sweet, religious woman. 

Earlier, when I invited her and hubby for crabs she asked "Do I have a pot to cook them in?" "Yes, I do." "Do you have utensils?" "Huh?" "You know like knives, knockers and the such?" (she was hammering her hand implying 'mallets'...) Then she said, "You know I have a set of knockers... I have a GOOD SET OF KNOCKERS..." Total innocent, no clue what she'd just said, bless her heart.

If it was anyone else, I could have had a blast with that one. About blew a spleen trying to keep it in. Her hubby was behind her just shaking his head.
  

Later, when it was time to eat, hubby asked if he could bring the brew... and I said, "Sure, and don't forget to bring them knockers... I can't wait to play with them!"  

Dang...

  
.


----------



## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

Thanks for all the info I guess I will have to catch some more crabs now to give a few of those a try. Last time we were just accidentally catching them on cut mullet. Does anyone have an easier method of catching enough to feed a few people.


----------



## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

I'm with Flea. Pre-cleaning is not only a pain in the arse but removes all the good flavor from the innards and yes I've tried it both ways. I get a bushel probably 6-10 a summer by helping a friend run his commercial pots on the weekends and if he or the other watermen ever found out I pre-cleaned them I'd never be allowed back.   

I've got a steamer and a propane tri-pod cooker that will do a bushel in 2 loads. A little water and a beer to steam them and add spices (if you feel the need) as you eat them...my $0.02


----------



## BubbaBlue (May 11, 2004)

I cook them whole most of the time myself (much easier) but wanted to give folks ideas for options that I have tried. Some are pretty darn good, like the garlic.

Recently, I've done a some research on this because I've eaten more crabs this year than I usually do. 

*I would definitely consider the water quality where the crabs were caught before eating the mustard, and how much. *

The mustard is a crab version of a liver, or in it's case, it's called a hepatopancreas. It's job is to filter impurities out of the blood. Any toxins that the crab has picked up will be concentrated there. Whenever there's a toxic spill warning, they warn about catfish, carp, eels and crab mustard.

I'm talking chemicals here... PCB's, carcinogens, etc, not germs. Any germs should be killed when the crab is cooked.

Before all the hard-core Marlanrs get their knickers in a knot, I'm not saying "Don't eat it." I still eat it, but it's just something to keep in mind.

**duck**

.


----------



## MANDINGO (Apr 4, 2004)

*Indeed*



shaggy said:


> Do as Bubbablue said, ice down, remove shell, lungs and the like, roll into a nice beer batter, and deep fry the sucker. Bit of butter, some Old Bay, eastern shore 'maters and some corn on the cob (for a twist do some steamed shrimp on the side, or some grilled beef, filet mignon, rare to medium rare, with a brown gravy, onions and some portobella mushrooms works for me), some Bud light (red wine will also work), and lordy, lordy, heaven on earth.[/QUOTE
> 
> AINT NOTHIN' LIKE EASTERN SHORE COOK'N


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*I prefer.....*

To steam them whole. I like using fresh herbs like dill, mint and rosemary. I just did some crabs,shrimp and lobster for dinner today. What I did was this......

Like others have said ice down first.....

In the water that I used for boiling I put oinon powder, garlic powder and old bay.

On the shrimp which were peeled first,(they were the big tiger shirmp), I sprinkled some lemon pepper and squirted the juice of half a lemon and lime. Next I placed some fresh mint and three sprigs of rosemary in the steamer and placed the shrimp on top. Steam for about 10 mins.

Next I took the lobster and crab (do the same with water), I took fresh garlic cloves, dill and a little sweet basil and stemed them. I was told that it was good. The kicker is I'm allergic to all three and can't have them. My loss I guess.


----------

