ok, I bought some live blue crabs at the asia market becuase they were on sale. How do I cook em? |
Always use crab boil. Not sure of which brands you can get. But the directions should tell you how to cook x amount of pounds |
First make a seasoning.
Old Bay Seasoning:
1 Tbsp. Celery Salt
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Pinch Ground Dry Mustard
Pinch Mace
Pinch Cinnamon
Pinch Cardamom
Pinch Allspice
Pinch Ground Clove
Pinch Ginger
Second, get your steamer ready.
Fill a crab steamer with 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Heat on high until the liquid comes to a full rolling boil. Add live hard shell crabs to the steamer sprinkling each layer generously with the dry seasoning mix.
Note that you can easily make your own steamer. Just use any large pot with a makeshift floor to keep the crabs out of the steaming liquids.
Cover and wait for wisps of steam to escape from under lid, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking over high heat for an additional 20-30 minutes until crabs turn bright orange. If shells are dark red or have reddish-green patches, then the crabs are not yet fully cooked.
Remove crabs from steamer and place on a large platter and sprinkle lightly with the dry seasoning mix. It is best to eat the crabs on a newspaper-covered table which makes cleanup a snap--simply roll up your "table cloth", scraps and all, and toss in the trash. Serve with saltine crackers, small containers of apple cider vinegar (some people like to dip the crab meat into it) and plenty of cold beverages!
It is extremely important to cook only living (live) crabs. Like all fresh seafood, crabs are extremely perishable and spoil rapidly. Since it is impossible to know how long a dead crab has been dead (or if it has spoiled), you should never attempt to cook a dead crab. Also, never use the same utensils for handling live (uncooked) crabs and cooked crabs since bacterial cross-contamination may occur.
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Zatarans (sp?) crab boil, water, crabs, 1/4’ed or 1/2’ed potatos and corn on the cob.....put it in a pot and boil. That’s what we did in Florida. |
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Originally posted by Ofortuna
First make a seasoning.
Old Bay Seasoning:
1 Tbsp. Celery Salt
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Pinch Ground Dry Mustard
Pinch Mace
Pinch Cinnamon
Pinch Cardamom
Pinch Allspice
Pinch Ground Clove
Pinch Ginger
Second, get your steamer ready.
Fill a crab steamer with 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Heat on high until the liquid comes to a full rolling boil. Add live hard shell crabs to the steamer sprinkling each layer generously with the dry seasoning mix.
Note that you can easily make your own steamer. Just use any large pot with a makeshift floor to keep the crabs out of the steaming liquids.
Cover and wait for wisps of steam to escape from under lid, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking over high heat for an additional 20-30 minutes until crabs turn bright orange. If shells are dark red or have reddish-green patches, then the crabs are not yet fully cooked.
Remove crabs from steamer and place on a large platter and sprinkle lightly with the dry seasoning mix. It is best to eat the crabs on a newspaper-covered table which makes cleanup a snap--simply roll up your "table cloth", scraps and all, and toss in the trash. Serve with saltine crackers, small containers of apple cider vinegar (some people like to dip the crab meat into it) and plenty of cold beverages!
It is extremely important to cook only living (live) crabs. Like all fresh seafood, crabs are extremely perishable and spoil rapidly. Since it is impossible to know how long a dead crab has been dead (or if it has spoiled), you should never attempt to cook a dead crab. Also, never use the same utensils for handling live (uncooked) crabs and cooked crabs since bacterial cross-contamination may occur.
man, I am getting hungry |
Originally posted by Ofortuna
First make a seasoning.
Old Bay Seasoning:
1 Tbsp. Celery Salt
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Pinch Ground Dry Mustard
Pinch Mace
Pinch Cinnamon
Pinch Cardamom
Pinch Allspice
Pinch Ground Clove
Pinch Ginger
Second, get your steamer ready.
Fill a crab steamer with 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Heat on high until the liquid comes to a full rolling boil. Add live hard shell crabs to the steamer sprinkling each layer generously with the dry seasoning mix.
Note that you can easily make your own steamer. Just use any large pot with a makeshift floor to keep the crabs out of the steaming liquids.
Cover and wait for wisps of steam to escape from under lid, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking over high heat for an additional 20-30 minutes until crabs turn bright orange. If shells are dark red or have reddish-green patches, then the crabs are not yet fully cooked.
Remove crabs from steamer and place on a large platter and sprinkle lightly with the dry seasoning mix. It is best to eat the crabs on a newspaper-covered table which makes cleanup a snap--simply roll up your "table cloth", scraps and all, and toss in the trash. Serve with saltine crackers, small containers of apple cider vinegar (some people like to dip the crab meat into it) and plenty of cold beverages!
It is extremely important to cook only living (live) crabs. Like all fresh seafood, crabs are extremely perishable and spoil rapidly. Since it is impossible to know how long a dead crab has been dead (or if it has spoiled), you should never attempt to cook a dead crab. Also, never use the same utensils for handling live (uncooked) crabs and cooked crabs since bacterial cross-contamination may occur.
That’s were it’s at. Just to question: Don’t you have to remove the face and internal organs before you do this? I ask only b/c the last time I did crab they were soft-shell and pan fried and a buddy told me this was important? |
Originally posted by Bigsilky
That’s were it’s at. Just to question: Don’t you have to remove the face and internal organs before you do this? I ask only b/c the last time I did crab they were soft-shell and pan fried and a buddy told me this was important?
Nope, just throw them in live. I use one part cider vinegar, one part beer, one part water for the streaming liquid and coat them in old bay. Good times. |
Originally posted by peter
ok, I bought some live blue crabs at the asia market becuase they were on sale. How do I cook em?
As stated, can’t beat a good crab boil. I would steam them in beer and Old Bay seasonings. |
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Originally posted by TheBeerLover
Originally posted by peter
ok, I bought some live blue crabs at the asia market becuase they were on sale. How do I cook em?
As stated, can’t beat a good crab boil. I would steam them in beer and Old Bay seasonings.
That is exactly how I have always done them. |
Cleaning before or after is purely a matter of choice. This is really not required just as long as the crabs you’re cooking are alive and not dead.
NEVER COOK DEAD CRABS!
Same goes for oysters or clams as well, but that’s for another discussion.
If you do clean, then
1. Stun live blue crab by placing in ice water for five minutes.
2. Grasp crab by its legs and under top shell spine (stunned and can be handled bare handed).
3. Pry off the top shell using the shell’s spine for leverage. This instantly kills the crab.
4. Flip crab over and remove the apron.
5. Using high pressure water, spray out the entrails.
6. Using thumb, twist off the mouth parts.
7. Remove spongy gills from both halves and rinse.
8. You’re ready to go! |
Originally posted by jimmack
Originally posted by TheBeerLover
Originally posted by peter
ok, I bought some live blue crabs at the asia market becuase they were on sale. How do I cook em?
As stated, can’t beat a good crab boil. I would steam them in beer and Old Bay seasonings.
That is exactly how I have always done them.
I concur. Old Bay, beer, cider vinegar and some ground cayene pepper for good measure!  We actually used to boil ours. Put the mixture in boiling water and then add crabs to the top of the pot. Nothing like a good spicy blue claw crab. Damn, can’t wait for the summer to get here to go and catch them ourselves. |
