Cooking crabs

Capt Ron suggeted I smack the carapace open and clean them right before cooking.  Gave it a try and think it is the WTG.  I smacked them back down on my sink divider and they were dead ASAP...probably quicker than steam/water.  Cleaned em, tossed them in the pot.  Hardly and yellow foamy shiot in the water, and the body meat was WHITE.  As a bonus, way more will fit in one pot.

I like to steam them.  But, one tip use less salt in the water.  Taste the water before adding more salt.  A little goes a long way.  Also, like to keep them whole because there is nothing like the "Butter" inside the shell over hot rice.

Ken kickfish

Sean,

I've been cleaning them that way since a friend of mine from Alaska showed me how a couple years ago.  I have a few asian crab recipes that call for the legs to be separated anyway, so this is the way to go.  Who wants to cook the gills and guts anyway.  Another bonus, it freaks some people out a bit when you have guests over for crab and your cracking them in half on the sink.

Brian

Bsteves,

You really need to try the butter. You only eat one shell.  But, it way better than the meat.  Just like BBQ Turkey Tails.  I can eat two Turkey Tails because on the third one I feel like putting my head in the toilet.

Ken kickfish

What actually is the "butter" biologically and anatomically speaking?

MolBasser

Mol - I think they are referring to the green jello like substance that is in the inner edges of the shell after you pull the torso off. I use it for Chioppino but otherwise I toss it since it looks and smells pretty nasty  .

Scott (GB2)

I believe biologically speaking the "butter" if it is in fact the "green jello" like substance is the blood.  Crustacean blood has hemocyanin which is based on copper (hence the green color) as opposed to our blood which has hemoglobin based on iron (hence our red blood).  Crustaceans and other arthropods also typically have an open circulatory system (unlike our closed system of viens and ateries) which explains why it just floats around in their body.

I believe biologically speaking the "butter" if it is in fact the "green jello" like substance is the blood.  Crustacean blood has hemocyanin which is based on copper (hence the green color) as opposed to our blood which has hemoglobin based on iron (hence our red blood).  Crustaceans and other arthropods also typically have an open circulatory system (unlike our closed system of viens and ateries) which explains why it just floats around in their body.

Thank you.  Interesting about their circulatory system.

MolBasser

Mol,

Don't get too excited...turns out I was only partially right.   I'm right about the type of blood, the copper content and the open circulatory system, but evidently the "butter" is attributed to another part of the visera and not the blood.  Turns out the "butter" seems to be the liver of the crab.  On the East Coast, the green bit in lobsters is called "tomally".  Because the liver accumulates toxins, it's probably best to avoid it.  I know that in southern California Fish and Game has warnings out about domoic acid from crab and lobster livers.

Brian

Well, to be honest is sounded gross and I had no plans on eating it no matter what it was......

I just like to understand.

MolBasser

Hey eveything is toxic,

Have to not read the warning on all fish, ducks and any else that lives on out planet.

Ken kickfish

Any more detailed explanation of the "smack the carapace on the kitchen sink divider" crab cleaning method? Pics?

Thanks.

Sean,
Thats the way all the commercial salmon guys up in Puget Sound do it while they wait for the right tides to make sets for salmon.  Most of them had portable propane powered pots ready to go on the deck.  Each boat did it the same way but each had there own spices to throw in with the crab, my favorite was the "cajun."  When the salmon fishing was slow, they would just throw a couple pots off (commercial guy secret spots) and bring up some crabs, crack the shell in half, rinse guts over the side and throw in the cooker. Mm Mm GOOD!

I'll take some pictures the next nice I dispatch a bunch of crabs this way.  Until then follow along and use your imagination.   

1.) Grab a crab, bottom side down, and claws facing away from you. 
2.) With your right hand grab all of the legs and the claw on the right side of the crab fairly close to the crabs body, with your left hand grab the legs and claw on the left.  Now you should have the crab immobilized.   This might take some practice, but it isn't too hard. 
3.) Now walk over to your sink divider, raise the crab over it a good six inches and then bring the crab's underside down onto the divider quickly while at the same time pullng the legs and claws down and somewhat together.  This should just about crack the bottom of the crab in half and loosen the legs from the carapace. 
4.) Flip the crab over and pull the two leg halves, and carapace apart.  If done right, it should leave all the guts in the carapace like a little bowl.
5.) Pull off the gills from the leg sections and remove the telson (tail bit) from what ever side it ended up on.
6.) Each leg section is ready to be cooked. 

Some notes:
There are a few asian crab recipes that call for the individual legs to be split and the shell of each leg section to be pre-cracked, but more on this later.

If the wife doesn't like the idea of you smacking live crabs against your sink divider, don't have a sink without a divider, or just want to do all of this outside, you'll have to find a substitute for the divider (make something out of wood with a similar shape).   Or... you could just power through the crab and rip it in half without the added help of the sink smack. This is a bit harder to do and might make you look a bit crazed to others so use caution.

Brian

Opening weekend we had a machette at the beginning of our assembly line.