Crabs are extremely delicious and healthy. From a starter to a main course, you can use this juicy and tender fish in all cuisines. They make your meal flavourful and tasty. But how to cook ocean crab meat if you’re trying it for the first time or want a refresher on the recipe?
In this article, we will provide step-by-step instructions on cooking ocean crab meat. Right from the ocean to your table and in the tummy, We bet! our recipe will take you to another world.
Buying A Crab
There are different types of ocean crabs. Before deciding to cook, here is a list of some ocean crabs and their type of meats.
- Dungeness crabs are found near the Pacific Ocean. They are big and have brownish meat.
- King crabs have very less edible parts in them. They have prolonged and slim legs and can weigh up to thirteen kilograms or twenty pounds.
- Blue crabs have a blueish appearance as per their name. Their legs are paddle-like which makes them good swimmers.
We suggest going to the market or any nearby seafood shop where fresh crabs are available. You can also buy a pre-cooked crab but make sure their pitchers and legs are unharmed. Any damage to limbs means they are poorly cooked and stored. If you have a fishing license, you can also spread out baits to catch ocean crabs yourselves.
Prepping A Crab
After buying live crabs, store them in the fridge with a damp towel. It will slow down their metabolism. Though it is lethargic, they should still move their legs after you pick them. It is more decent to kill the crab before cooking. While boiling live crabs, they drop their legs so slaughtering them will avert this from happening.
For cutting a crab, flip it upside down and drag open the covering on the bottom. Through the central point, pin a sharp knife or skewer in the crab. To kill it instantly, move the skewers or sharp knife from side to side. Legs will be flabby but they might move and tremble with nerves.
Cooking Ocean Crab Meat
Crabs can be boiled and steamed. Though boiling is common and it will cook the crabs quite thoroughly, steam helps to reduce the water in the body’s chamber.
- Take a round container of water and wait for it to start boiling. You can add salt and some herbs too in the boiling water to enhance the taste. Then put the crab upside down and boil it for almost 8 minutes. Check it carefully because if it is raw it can be cooked furthermore.
- For steaming, place a steamer basket in the middle of a boiling water pot mixed with a pinch of salt. Put down the crabs in the basket. They will take ten to twenty minutes to cook properly according to their size and weight.
- After removing the crab from the round container, keep it in the sink and rinse it with water to stop the cooking process. If any gummy crab entrails dribbled out while cooking it, they can be rinsed. Let it cool down so you can handle it easily. Flipping both sides a few times will get them sprayed.
How To Clean Ocean Crab?
- For fracturing the male crab’s apron, place your thumb on the crab while the crab is turned over. Crack it at the posterior side of the crab.
- After removing the shell while cutting the crab, now you have to pull out the squishy inedible gill from each side of the grouser’s body and dispose of them.
- Afterwards, remove the frontal mouth area of the crab. Cut them off and discard them as these are inedible corridors of the crab.
- After removing all the inedible parts, wash out all the icky parts of the crab’s body. Delicious meat and shell should be the only things left for eating.
- Flip the crab upside down and hold each side of the crab. Keep your thumb at the central point of the back. Press your thumbs upward and drag your hands downward. This shall help to break crab neatly and conveniently through the midline.
How To Serve Ocean Crab Meat?
As crabs are mostly eaten with crab crackers, place a small size knife, or a fork on the table along with small and large plates for shells and crabs respectively. Also, place a bib or napkin to avoid mess and stains on your clothing. You can serve lemon wedges, melted butter with garlic, or garlic mayonnaise with crabs. However, if you are eating fresh crabs, there is no need for extra sauces. Crab cakes are also very tasty so below is a recipe for crab cake.
Simple Crab Cake Recipe
Crab Cakes are one of the traditional meals that are popular in crab dishes. It has an interesting recipe. You can feel the tenderness of crab meat in crab cake. They are usually consumed with a salad or you can serve them as a side dish, an appetizer or the main course.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of lump crab meat that has been shelled out.
- a half-cup of breadcrumbs
- Mayonnaise, 1/4 cup
- One big egg
- 1/9 cup Dijon mustard
- a serving of Worcestershire sauce
- one teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chives or finely chopped green onions
- 14 cups red bell peppers, chopped finely
- 14 cups of celery, cut finely.
- 1 minced garlic clove
- Old Bay seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste)
- pepper and salt as desired
- For dredging, 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
- for frying, 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- slice of lemon
Besides mouthwatering and yummy taste of ocean crab meat, it is an enriching source of protein that plays a vital role in muscle growth. Crabs also contain vitamins and minerals that improve bone health. Omega-3 fatty acids present in crabs prevent you from heart disease.
Moreover, Crab meat is good for the skin and eyes because it contains vitamin B2. It contains a low portion of fats. So eating crabs will improve your overall health.
We hope you enjoyed our article. Stay tuned with us for more!