You'll want to cook the crabs before you clean them. Boiling is more common, but steaming crabs emerge from the pot less water-logged and more filled with their own crabby juices.
Remove the spongy stomach and gills underwater, pulling away from the crab. Rinse it well, then crack the body in half. After this, continue rinsing the crab until it is clean, then crack the legs away or leave the crab in halves.
For the crab: Drop both whole live crabs in a large pot of salted boiling water. Let cook until the shells turn a bright red, 10 to 15 minutes. Be aware that the meat cooks very fast once exposed to the hot water. Remove the crabs from the water and pull the main shell off.
After cleaning (refer to the instructions in this brochure), cook crab for about six minutes in boiling water. The cooked crab meat will no longer be translucent. Make sure you discard the cooking water or marinade.
Cooking Tip
Once your water is boiling, toss in the cleaned crab halves. Once the crab is in the pot, bring the water back to a boil and cook for 11 minutes. After 11 minutes, remove the cooked crabs and rinse or submerge them in cold water to stop the cooking process. Place the crabs on ice or serve.
1: Bring a large pot of water to the boil and approximately 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Once water is at the boil place crabs in the pot upside down. 2: Cook for approximately 5-8 mins. Once they start floating & are a very vibrant orange colour it is a good indicator to tell they are cooked.
Boiling is the most popular cooking technique for all crab varieties. It is the easiest method and preserves the most flavor. To do so, put a large pot of water to boil. Add lots of salt to it.
Frozen crab legs are often precooked, so you're just reheating them in the boiling water. If that's the case, be careful not to overcook them, as the meat will toughen and lose its delicate flavor.
Cook the crabs for about 18-20 minutes, depending on size. The crabs are done when they turn orange and the meat flakes when tested with a fork. Carefully remove the crabs from the pot with clean tongs and serve on a platter with a sprinkling of seafood seasoning and some lemon wedges.
The most important thing about cooking blue crab to note is that you cannot cook crabs that are dead; as soon as they die they start to rot and become toxic. If you are cooking fresh crabs, they must be alive.
Once cooked and cooled, peel back the top shell and rinse the crab with water to remove the guts and gills.
Boiling crab is a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is also low in fat and calories, making it a healthy option for those who are watching their weight.
Meat with mushy texture originates from soft-shelled crabs, a problem which can easily be rectified by culling. Black discolouration on the other hand, is likely caused by the enzymatic oxidation of polyhydroxy- phenyl and aminophenyl compounds in the tissues.
If any part of your crab's flesh has become mushy and semi-solid, this is an indication that it was not alive when cooked. This is also the reason why you should not buy dead raw crabs for yourself.
Vinegar - Vinegar adds amazing flavor to the crabs, but it also helps soften the shells and make them easier to pick. Plain white vinegar is all you need here, but if you don't have any, white or red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar is fine. Avoid balsamic or anything with a lot of flavor.
Wash your crab legs with water to make sure you get rid of any sand or grit on the shell. Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with about 3 inches of water. Once the water is boiling, add the crab legs to the steamer basket and reduce the heat so the water is simmering.
Blue and Dungeness crabs are usually served whole, so you can use these instructions for either, says Whalen. "Don't be too concerned about size—just select a heavy one."
You need salt and seasoning for the boil. The best tasting crab I have ever had was boiled in pure sea water. Dungeness live in the saltwater environment and if you cook them in freshwater you will draw out most of that great salty sweet flavor that Dungeness are known for.
Once water returns to a boil, cook 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and allow crabs to soak, covered, 10–12 minutes.