How to clean & cook blue crabs, boiled, baked or fried

The Dealer · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:30 pm

Been reading a lot about how to prepare blue crabs for bait but don't see much about how to clean and cook them.

The old traditional way is simply to boil them alive. This is quick and easy and is done primarily to assure the cook that the crabs are fresh and alive when dropped in the pot..

This method requires a lot of picking through gut,and lungs, before getting to the meat. It also requires a good clean up as the smell and mess if left over a day. Left over boiled crabs look rough in the fridge as well.

You eliminate most of this by simply killing and cleaning the crab first. You do this the same way you would to prepare them for bait. With a pair of thongs you pick the crab up and turn it upside down on a board. Then push a ice pick though it's body at the point of the bottom of it's sex flap and pin it to the board. If you've hit the right place the crab will be insteantly paralyasied. After a few tries you will find the right spot.
You them cut the claws off with garden shears. Grab the legs with one hand and point of the shell (same side) with the other and pull apart. The top shell will come off in one piece. Cut through the middle into halfs. cut off the mouth and pull away the sex flap and sex organ (males only, throw the females back) remove the lungs and with a water hose wash away all the remaining gut.

You now have two seperate clean body pieces and two claws. crack the claws slightly and wash well.

The crabs can be kept like this for a couple of days in the fridge or on ice before cooking. To cook simply boil, or steam with your favorite seasoning. I recommend that you put a little of viniger and lemon juice , hot sauce and salt in your water as well. Bring water to a long simmer to break down the flavors of the seasoning before puting the crabs in. You want your water near boiling when you do. And keep a lid on the pot.

To bake or broil simply place the crabs in a roasting pan covered with a rague sauce or your favorite spices cover with foil and bake in the oven.

Crab parts can also be dipped in your favorite fish or shrimp batter and deep fried. All of these cooking methods make having them as left overs far more attractive than having boiled them whole....

And believe me they will be easer and cleaner to eat . And more importantly taste a hell of a lot better.

PS If you want to prepare develed crab, save some of the top shells
and remember the males have a long penis looking flap and females have a rounded or half moon shaped organ flap. Another clue, the female blue crab always has red tipped claws.

Stephen · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:50 pm

I completely agree with this cleaning technique. After steaming blue crabs alive and having to pick through all the guts just to get a little meat, I didn't feel like going through the hassle anymore. Cleaning the crabs live is so much easier, and tastier too in my opinion. All the internal organs and mustard aren't steamed into the meat. To make cleaning even easier, I put the crabs in an ice slurry for about 15 minutes. They are extremely sluggish and passive and wont snap at you while you clean them.

This is exactly how I clean them (use a strong knife):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h_h20i- ... re=related

The Dealer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:23 pm

Hey Stephen,

I expect someone from St. Augustine and with your experence to know all about cleaning crabs for cooking the right way . The vidio was a blast....I've not seen it done with a large knife like that, however the crab has to be dormant to handle so I understand the ice water.....

I learned from a crabber on Big Lake George about forty years ago. I was buying some crabs as we were camping at Mill Dam in the Ocala forrest. After I gave the lady my order she asked if I wanted them cleaned or not. Wow! up to then I'd never heard of them cleaned and had been a river rat all my young life. I ask her to clean them so I could learn and belive me I've never gone back to boiling them whole. Have also enjoyed showing lots of folks how to do it right.

Thanks for your post.....good fishing to you

JohnYaksJax · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:58 pm

Thanks for TWO really interesting posts about preparing and cooking and eating blue crabs!!

I have always thought it was just too much work for a few ounces of meat....and I just may have to re-think that one!!
Thx...JohnYaksJax

Pirate Jerry · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:43 pm

Is it just me or isn't the cleaning process exactly the same whether the crab is alive or dead (pre-cleaned) when cooked.
Method 1: dump the crab in boiling water,cook, peel bottom flap and top shell, scrape off lungs and rinse out mustard... eat
Method 2: kill crab, peel off bottom flap and top shell, scrape off lungs and rinse out mustard, cook......eat
I'll stay with the old way, don't have to ice the crab down to make it easy to handle and no chance of getting pinched... A really big blue claw can inflict a very painful wound.

The Dealer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:39 pm

Now Pirate Jerry, when you say you will stay with the old way does that mean you have even tried my way? I never suggested icing them down, but I can see how that would make it easy to work the crab. I said turn them over with thongs and pierce the body with an ice pick. A knife would also work. You don't use your hands and you don't get bit and you don't need gloves.

Another point I was making in cleaning them first is it allows you to cook them in drifferent ways. Can you imaginion` bakeing or frying a whole uncleaned hardshell crab? Molting soft shell crabs yes.

As for cleaning them before or after, it's reasonable to see that you get rid of all the gut and trash before you eat them and not with your hands and mouth when eating them...... This was the whole point. Either way crabs are good so enjoy them the way you prefer. I've talked to people over the years that swear that the gut (mustard looking gue) is fat and they diped the crab meat in it. To each his own....Happy fishing and crabing to you.

The Dealer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:50 pm

Hey JohnyakJax, your attitude was the same as mine when the lady ask me if I wanted them cleaned or not. I saw it as an opportunity to learn something. That's what growing is all about huh??

Pirate Jerry · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:43 pm

Valid points dealer, but yes I have tried both ways. I lived in Southern Maryland for 7 years where crabs were a way of life(so to speak). I must admit I have never tried baked hardshells but I will soon, sounds pretty good, and I'll do'em your way...live and learn...

As for frying..softshells (IMHO) are the only way to go. Fried softshell with tartar sauce or spiked chili sauce (both great) on a burger bun...YUM !!!
It really doesn't matter. What kinda bugs me is when people complain about all they can catch is crabs and call it a bad day, I love it when that happens and fill the cooler with blue claws. way better eating than trout and reds and dang near as good as Flounder.......plus put a little one on a hook, chuck it out and hang on..........As Pogo says "to each his dad-burned blue-eyed own"...Thanks for the tips....

Pirate Jerry · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:49 pm

Oh, and by the way, as you said,the mustard/with melted butter is considered to be a dipping sauce in many areas...Not my personal favorite tho...

Pirate Jerry · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:52 pm

OOps, and you don't fry uncleaned softshells....follow your procedure on cleaning them first (Dealer 1, Pirate Jerry 0)

The Dealer · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:18 am

Pirate Jerry wrote:

Oh, and by the way, as you said,the mustard/with melted butter is considered to be a dipping sauce in many areas...Not my personal favorite tho...

Hey Pirate Jerry, now you tell me what you know about crabs. That part of southern Maryland that you were in loves their crabs. You turned me on with the mention of fried softshells with hot sauce. Yes, the mustard fat was also called butter. ugh , they can have all that they want.

Enjoy my friend..........

Dreads0518 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:33 pm

Im making Garlic Crabs this weekend, and this is the way Im gonna make them.........

http://www.bluecrab.info/recipes/njstyle.htm

A quote from the website
As Captain Williecrab says, "Only barbaric heathens do not clean a crab first, they cook a whole crab alive and cook his guts in the meat instead of wonderful spices and things like garlic."

The Dealer · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:56 pm

Garlic Crabs, sounds good! let me know how they come out.

Anonymous · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:30 pm

Dealer,

My father taught me that method about 25 years ago. He used to love setting out a couple dozen traps and cook up twenty dozen or so for friends and family. It's extra work for the cook, but it takes up a lot less space in the pots and the diners really enjoy not having to deal with the mess. Even some people that would never eat crab would eat them when prepared like this.

George
Caretaker

The Dealer · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:08 pm

That's what fathers do.......thanks for sharing your story. As you know your dad knew what he was talking about .

How to clean & cook blue crabs, boiled, baked or fried

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