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| 20 January 2010
| Article Index |
|---|
| Extreme Cuisine - Crab |
| Preparing Crabs |
| Recipes |
| All Pages |
Page 2 of 3
Cooking Crabs
1. Keep live crabs loosely covered with wet newspaper (remember, they need to breathe) in the refrigerator up to 12 hours. Grasp crabs carefully from the rear end, between the legs, and put them into a pan to make sure they fit. There should be about 4 inches of clearance below the pan's rim. Remove the crabs and fill the pan with enough water to cover the crabs by about 3 inches. Cover the pan and bring water to a boil over high heat.
2. One at a time, grasp crabs from the rear and plunge them headfirst into the boiling water; if there's too much water, ladle out the excess. Cover the pan, let water return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Start timing. Cook 1 to 2-1/2 lb crabs for about 15 minutes, 3 lb crabs should cook for about 20 minutes.
3. Drain crabs, rinse under cool water until they're easy to handle.
Cleaning, Cracking & Shelling Crabs
1. Pull off and discard triangular flap from the underside.
2. Turn the crab belly side down; pulling from the back end, lift off the back shell. Drain and discard the liquid from the hell. Scoop out the soft, golden crab butter and white crab fat from the shell and place in a small bowl to eat with the crab or to stir into a dipping sauce. Break the bony section (the mouth) of the back shell from the front end of the shell and discard. Rinse the shell well and use as garnish.
3. On the body section, pull off and discard the reddish membrane that covers the centre. If you don't see it, it's because it came off with the back shell. Scoop out any remaining golden butter and add to bowl. Pull off and discard the long, spongy gills from the sides of the body. Rinse well with cool water.
4. Twist the legs and claws off the body. Using a nutcracker or wooden mallet, crack the shell of each leg and claw section. With a knife, cut the body into quarters.
5. Break apart the legs and claws, using your fingers, a small fork, a pick, or a crab let tip to remove meat. Pull the body sections apart and dig out the pockets of meat. Discard shells.