For seafood lovers, nothing beats the sweet, briny flavor of fresh crab. While cooked and picked crabmeat can be convenient, starting with a live crab and preparing it yourself results in the absolute best taste and texture. Here is a complete guide to humanely cooking, cleaning and preparing fresh crabs at home.
Choosing the Freshest Live Crabs
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Look for crabs that are active and feisty when handled, not lethargic. Their legs should move when picked up.
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Choose crabs that feel heavy for their size and have a solid full feel when held. Lightweight crabs will have less meat.
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Make sure the shell looks clean, not damaged, with all legs and claws intact.
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The underside should not have any unpleasant odors. A fresh crab will smell briny.
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Buying from a local seafood market or trusted fishmonger is best. Don’t purchase crabs that seem lifeless or have cracked shells.
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For shipping, live crabs must be kept very cold, ideally just above freezing. Rush home and cook as soon as possible.
When buying fresh live crabs such as Dungeness, blue crabs, snow crabs, etc., quality is everything. Take care to select active, undamaged specimens for the best results.
Preparing to Cook the Crabs
Before cooking, it helps to prep your cooking setup:
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Set up a large pot or steamer basket and heat up water. The pot should be big enough to accommodate all the crabs.
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Make sure you have tongs or gloves to handle hot crabs, plus tools for cleaning.
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Prepare a large bowl of ice water to shock the crabs after cooking.
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Gather bowls for cooked crabs, utensils for eating, and accoutrements like drawn butter, lemon wedges and seafood crackers.
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Season the cooking water. For boiling, use about 1/4 cup salt per gallon of water. Add any spices, herbs or seafood seasoning as desired.
Preparing your equipment and ingredients ahead makes the cooking and eating process smooth and organized.
Cooking the Live Crabs
There are two main methods for cooking live crabs – boiling or steaming:
Boiling Method
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Bring a large pot of seasoned water to a rolling boil.
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Gently lower the live crabs into the boiling water. Cook for 7-8 minutes for smaller crabs up to 18-20 minutes for larger Dungeness or king crabs.
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When done, the crabs will turn bright orange and the shells will look opaque. Use tongs to transfer cooked crabs to the ice bath.
Steaming Method
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Place crabs in a steamer basket set over an inch of boiling seasoned water.
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Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes until bright orange. Check larger crabs after 15 minutes.
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Carefully remove steamer basket and immerse crabs in ice bath.
Steaming preserves more crab flavor, but boiling is quicker. Cook just until shells turn orange – overcooking makes crabs rubbery. Shocking in ice water stops the cooking process.
Cooling and Cleaning the Cooked Crabs
Once cooked, you’ll need to clean the crabs properly before eating:
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Cool the cooked crabs in ice water for at least 15 minutes so they are safe to handle.
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Lay each crab on its back. Remove and discard the triangular apron on the underside.
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Grip the points around the top shell and lift it off lengthwise. Discard the shell.
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Scoop out any yellow “crab butter” inside the shell to reserve, if desired.
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Pull off the feather-like gills and mouthparts from either side of the body. Rinse out.
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Crack off claws and legs if the crab will be served whole.
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Quarter or halve the body with a heavy knife or mallet for easier eating.
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Rinse cleaned crabs and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Take care when cleaning hot crabs – use gloves or tongs if needed. Thorough cleaning removes inedible parts.
Serving and Eating Cooked Fresh Crab
Cleaned, cooked crabs are ready to be served and enjoyed in multiple ways:
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As an appetizer, serve chilled whole cooked crabs with crab crackers, butter and lemon wedges.
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For a meal, present large crab halves or quarters with dipping sauces. Provide crab tools like mallets.
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For crab cakes or dishes, carefully pick meat from quarters and claws in chunks or shreds.
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Add reserved crab butter to dips, sauces and vinaigrettes for intense flavor.
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To reheat, place crab pieces on a baking sheet and warm at 375°F for 4-5 minutes.
The sweet crabmeat is excellent on its own, in salads, pastas, stir fries or wherever you want briny seafood flavor.
Here are some serving suggestions:
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Crab cakes – Mix crab meat with breadcrumbs, egg, mayo and seasonings, then pan-fry into crisp patties.
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Crab dip – Combine crab with cream cheese, artichoke hearts and parmesan, then bake.
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Crab salad – Toss crab meat with celery, lemon juice and mayo for a simple chilled salad.
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Crab linguine – Sauté crab meat, tomatoes, garlic and basil for a fast pasta topper.
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Stuffed crab shells – Fill cooked crab shells with seasoned crabmeat and breadcrumbs, then bake.
From crab boils to crab cakes, embrace fresh crab season by cooking your own. The unbeatable sweetness and texture of freshly prepared crab is well worth the effort.
Step 4: Remove the Apron
Introduction: How to Cook and Clean a Fresh Dungeness Crab
These facts are important for people who live on the Pacific coast: Dungeness crabs are a delicious treat and a lean, healthy, tasty holiday tradition. This Instructable will teach you how to cook and clean your own fresh Dungeness crab at home.
You can make fresh Dungeness crab instead of buying it already cooked, soggy, and picked. Here are some basic tips to help you host your own crab feed or make a delicious crab dinner for yourself.
How to cook and clean a Dungeness crab
FAQ
Do you clean fresh crab before cooking?
Which cooking method is best for crab?
Is it better to bake or boil crab?
How long does it take to cook a crab?
How do you cook a live crab?
HOW TO COOK CRAB This is the best, fastest and easiest method to cooking them alive. No need to process them prior to cooking. STEP 1 – To a large pot, pour water and add salt if you’d like. Bring the water to a raging boil. STEP 2 – Place the live crab in the boiling water and cover with the lid. STEP 3 – Boil for 12 minutes.
Are coconut crabs healthy to eat?
Crabs are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins like riboflavin and minerals like selenium, copper, phosphorus. Coconut crabs are not known to be poisonous. The fat in the abdomen and the egg inside the female are the delicious edible parts. It is prepared by steaming or boiling them in coconut milk. Consuming coconut crab along with sea mango, cerbera manghas may make the coconut crab toxic due to the presence of cardiac cardenolides(cardiac active steroids). This causes electrolyte imbalance that affects the electrical conductivity of the heart.
How do you cook a halved crab?
Once the crab has been cleaned properly, brush the meat with butter infused with the ingredients of your choice, such as garlic, shallots, and ginger. Place the halved crabs in a single layer on a large roasting tray and cook for approximately 10 minutes in a 450-degree oven until the meat is golden brown.
How do you cook a king crab?
Place the crab in a baking dish with a bit of water, cover with foil, and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Cooking King Crab: Since they’re often pre-cooked and frozen, they just need to be heated through for about 5-7 minutes in boiling water. Post-Cooking Cleaning: Remove and discard the gills and mandible. Optionally, clean out the tomalley.