First, boil the water, put the legs in, then boil for 15 minutes. Usually the face of the crab will come off with the shell but if not be sure to remove the crabs face as well. Turn crab over and remove shell by prying off using your thumb or fingers. Holding the crab claws by the claw shell, dip the meaty part into the egg wash, and then dredge them in the flour again. After you've done one or two, they go pretty quickly. Along the top are two rows of opaque, feathery gills. Some like to steam their crabs, whereas others prefer to boil them. Break the crab's body in half and rinse it under cold water. You now have a fully cleaned crab. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Step 2: Boiling the whole crabs To boil 3 pounds live hard-shell blue crabs, bring 8 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to boiling in a 12- to 16-quart pot. Choose a method, add water to your pot, and bring it to a boil. Any undigested food left inside the crab before it was cooked may grow bacteria and ruin the crab meat. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg\/aid8592321-v4-728px-Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"
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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Then, cut the legs into thin pieces. Cook them for 12 minutes. Other people wear latex gloves to protect themselves from the heat of the shells. Stick your thumbs in the small opening at the backside of the crab. Boil for about 18-20 minutes. Rinse under cold running water. Using the tongs, pick up a crab and place it in the bucket of ice water. Most people discard the carapace, but some people like to clean the shell is use it to serve crab salad. Pull off triangular-shaped belly flap (aka apron); drain, if needed. We'll here are some instructions on how to clean the crab and get … Place crab on a work surface, belly side up. You now have a fully cleaned crab. This double insulation will prevent any air from getting to the crab. Then, extract the meat by holding the crab upside down and pushing down on both sides until the crab breaks in half. 6. There are two theories about preparing the crab for cooking; the crab can be cracked in half and cleaned before placing in the pot, or the entire crab can be placed into the pot and then cleaned after it's cooked. Use a large knife to cut apart bigger or tougher crabs. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. To freeze a crab, first clean it, then throw it crab … After you've pulled off the apron, you will see a small hole between the body and the top shell, or carapace, at the back of the crab. Most crabs can be broken in half or into quarters by hand. After you've done one or two, they go pretty quickly. Leave it in the water for five minutes. wikiHow's. Live crabs ship surprisingly well when handled properly and kept on ice, but there is something about the local crab season that can't be beaten, whether that's Dungeness crab pulled out of the Pacific Ocean or blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay. Cover pan and bring water to a boil over high heat. When fresh, they smell clean and astringent, like sea mist―a fitting aroma for a delicacy that both captures the romance of the sea and the allure of a full moon in spring. 2. You can any method you like to do this, but a quick 60-second blanch in boiling water seems to do the trick. It is much easier to clean crabs after cooking when the meat has loosened from the shell. Once your crab is clean, you can cook and enjoy it. Shake or roll the claws in the flour. An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. However, not all scissors will be sharp enough. Pull in opposite directions with your thumbs until the top part of the crab’s shell tears from the rest of its body. The remaining parts of the crab (besides the shell) that you don't want to eat are the guts. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. In the world of cleaning animals, crab guts are pretty innocuous. Bring the water, vinegar (or beer), and salt to a boil in your large pot and add in 2 tbsp of the Old Bay seasoning. Once they are done, drop them briefly into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. You will also need to remove the shell and guts as part of the cleaning process. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 44,838 times. Simply pull them all off and discard them. Crabs kept on ice or in the fridge will be lethargic, but even they should respond to being picked up or moved around with a bit of leg movement. 2. Crab sections can be cooked in boiling water. Whisk one egg and 1/2 cup milk together in a small bowl. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Remove the crab from the pot and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process and cool the shell for handling. For tips on how to kill a crab before you clean it and how to cook a crab, read on! Crab-O-Licious.com Replies-Yes, you can freeze blue crab before cooking them, but you should clean them FIRST. Others just simply want to eat their already cooked crab and don't know where to start. Wrap them with bread bran and flour, heat the oil at a low temperature, fry the crab pieces in the wok until golden yellow. Any medium to large sized mud crabs you can use for the dish. It'll be easy to clean crabs when you have access to running water. Take a layer of foil wrapper and wrap the blue crab again. Simple as boiling water, seasoning, salt, and a little vinegar. If your scissors fail to cut through the crab, use a sharp knife instead to make the cut. In another bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon cayenne. To clean soft-shell crabs, hold the crab in one hand, and using a pair of kitchen shears, cut off the front of the crab, about 1/2 inch behind the eyes and mouth. Wash the crabs clean. If you want to clean a crab, start by using a pair of scissors to make a cut behind its eyes and mouth to remove the face. Step 2: Cook. A mature crab will generally molt about once a month, growing larger with each molt. If you're choosing crabs from a tank or cooler, look for feisty specimens. Pull off the abdomen, the piece of shell on the crab's underside, before removing the gills, which are the beige tongue-like things you will see inside. The liquid that will come out is called "crab butter" (it's the fat from the back of the crab) and many people save it for use in soups or even as a dipping sauce for the crab itself. Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. By keeping the blue crabs frozen at 0°F, it can stay safe for consumption indefinitely. This will stun the crab and prevent nasty pinches during the cleaning process. Boil or steam the crabs as outlined above for about 5 minutes, let them cool, then clean them. Pull the top of the crab’s shell off using your fingers. While crab comes in many forms, there are three options for purchasing the shelled sea... Boiling. By using our site, you agree to our. Treat Blue Crab just like you would any other type of crab. Remove the apron by grabbing the point towards the front of the crab and pulling it off. No matter what crabs you have on hand, use this guide to get them ready to eat. from Pournima to Amavasya. It’s Dungeness crab season in California! For tips on how to kill a crab before you clean it and how to cook a crab, read on! To clean the crab: begin by removing the top shell. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, How to Buy, Clean, and Cook Soft Shell Crabs. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Remove crabs and fill pan with enough water to cover crabs by 2 to 3 inches. 2. Step 1: Prepping the whole crabs Grasp live crabs from behind, firmly holding the back two legs on each side. The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Pull the apron -- the triangular segment of shell -- up … The mandibles, at the front of the crab, need to be removed–simply snap the two pointy things to break them away from the crab and discard them. Great prices on cheap crab are being found all over San Francisco at places like Manila Oriental Market, Chinatown, and Clement Street. After spraying the crab clean, there will be nothing left but shell and succulent crab meat. Boiling is more common, but steaming crabs emerge from the pot less water-logged and more filled with their own crabby juices. References. It is generally easier to use scissors to remove the face. Let the crab cool for a minute before beginning the cleaning process. How to Clean and Cook Crab Like a Pro Buying, Storing, and Cleaning. % of people told us that this article helped them. Either way will work, it's all in your preference for mess. Simply rinse them out under cool running water. There are just two easy steps to cleaning blue crabs this way: Crack off the top of the shell Clean out the guts and gills (the easiest way to do this is to blast it all out with a hose) A cleaned crab is ready to serve if you're having people pick crab meat themselves (you can offer guests homemade aioli, alongside the crab butter, for dipping) or ready to pick if you are going to use the crab meat in another dish like crab cakes or gumbo. The crab can either be frozen like this, in … If you’ve felt intimidated about cooking and cleaning your own Dungeness, don’t. Put thumb on back of top shell fingers on Once you have them sedated you will need a knife, running water, a huge trash bag and a place to put the clean crabs. One at a time, grasp crabs as described above and plunge them headfirst into the boiling water; if you have too much water, ladle out excess and discard. the closer to new moon the better. Toss the whole cleaned crabs (or halves or quarters depending on the size) with some olive oil and maybe a minced clove of garlic or two, plus some chopped rosemary or thyme leaves if you like. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. One Tip my mother gave to me : Always buy the crab during the full moon to the new moon phase i.e. Rinse under cold running water. Don’t be shy to pull the meat through your teeth and suck out the juice.Next, turn the crab over and pull open the crabs private part. To complete the cleaning process, rinse out the crab's guts under cold water until all of the greenish brown substances are gone. Last Updated: October 23, 2020 The "apron" on a crab is a triangle of shell on the bottom of the crab (on males it is smaller, narrower, and more pointed; on females it is bigger, wider, and more rounded). Dunk the crab in ice water to stop cooking. Use a garden hose to spray out the crab, leaving it clean and free of digestive tract and gill material. Yes. 1. if the crab has been cooked washing is optional. I’ve been buying these yummy critters for $2.99 per pound at Sun Fat Seafood. 5. After the crab is cooked, let it sit to cool down. Hold the body with one hand and pull off the top shell by grabbing the shell where that small hole is. This is a beautiful saucy crab dish thickened with egg bits partly cooked in hot sweet and sour spicy broth. Simply rinse them out under cool running water. This dish is very popular in Singapore and actually popular across all parts of the world for crab and seafood lovers. These are not tasty. Immerse the whole crab and again bring the water to boiling. Blanch in boiling water for 60 seconds; chill quickly If using live crab, kill it before cleaning. To cook your crabs, use a large pot. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. How-to Clean Your Cooked or Live Crabs. The term "soft-shell" refers to the brief time after a blue crab molts and before the new, hardened shell has formed; the entire shell is edible during this period. A male crabs' claw is bright blue while a female is red. Once it has completely cooled down, take a layer of cling wrapper and wrap each blue crab individually. Cook your crab. Smaller cleaned crabs can be served whole, but you'll want to break up larger crabs for people to work from or if you're going to pick the crab meat before serving. Some people add crab boil, found in grocery stores. If your crab is live, you will need to boil it to kill it. Cooking spider crabs is very similar to boiling blue crabs and/or stone crab claws. Many people ask us how do you clean a crab to use for sauce or for sauteing. Allow each crab to cook for approximately 15 minutes (once they float to the top, give them an extra 2-3 minutes). So position yourself near a sink while cleaning the crab. Get your fishing license and set out some crab traps! How to Cook and Clean a Fresh Dungeness Crab Step 1: Get a Fresh Crab. 4. 3. know where to start 5. The remaining parts of the crab (besides the shell) that you don't want to eat are the guts. If you want to eat crab meat, you need to clean your crab first. In the world of cleaning animals, crab guts are pretty innocuous. If you want, you can serve your crab with melted butter. https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cleaning-crab, http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_techniques/kitchen_tips_techniques/how_to_prepare_dungeness_crab, http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-to-clean-soft-shell-crabs.html, http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/clean_prepare.html, http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/09/french-in-a-flash-soft-shell-crab-meuniere-recipe.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You should be left with two even sections of crab meat. Use a light … Lift the tool to pop the shell free from the crab, exposing the entrails and gills. Once you’ve purchased your crab of choice, there are a handful of options for cooking the … My mother used to buy the crabs and clean it, slowly i took over cleaning the crabs since my teen days. Carefully take your live crabs out of the ice water with tongs and place them into the steamer pot one by … Remove the crabs from the pot and let sit until cool enough to handle. Place the steamer section into the pot, making sure the steamer is not touching the liquid. This article has been viewed 44,838 times. Whether you catch the crabs yourself or buy them at your local fishmonger, you'll need to clean them thoroughly before cooking and eating. Unlike before where cleaning the crab was optional, you’re going to have to now if you plan on it lasting more than a week. Steam or boil your crab at ~7-8 minutes/pound, lid on but cocked to allow a bit of venting. I prefer cooking the whole crab … for sauteing. Once the top shell is gone, you'll see the crab's insides. Place a crab on its back on the work surface. If you don't want to boil them after catching them, at the very least, you should clean the crabs before freezing. In order for a crustacean to grow, it must periodically shed (molt) its old exoskeleton, or shell. Remove from the heat and finish with a sprinkle of cumin. How to Cook and Clean a Blue Crab . Take them out and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. As you can see in the video above, all our friends from Deer Meat For Dinner use are: You'll want to cook the crabs before you clean them. If you want to reserve the crab butter, make sure to hold the crab upside-down and pull the body up and out of the top shell so the shell collects the liquid. One point though, always have the claws removed from the vendor selling the crab. Discard the top part of the shell. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Let's start by turning the crab over. You can rinse them quickly under cold water to move things along. I have cleaned the crabs and mashed its claws before cooking. There are many options.