If you are buying from the latter, make sure to find out how long the crabs have been in the tank. If it is longer than a week, they should really be avoided. Choose crabs that are lively and move about. They should smell fresh and salty, without any smell of fish and especially not ammonia. Never buy crabs that are dead, as the meat goes off really quickly and will most definitely be bad when you cook it.
Do not buy any crabs if the meat looks off colour or dried out. If you are planning on preparing a crab dish following a recipe, check to see whether it specifies a male or female crab, as some recipes do. It is quite simple to differentiate between a male and female crab. The female crab has a triangle shaped area on the underneath part of the shell.
If you need to defrost the crab quickly, wrap it in cling film and place it in a sink full of cold water. Do not use hot water. A two pound crab will defrost in one hour. Pour 5 liters of water into a large saucepan and add around 5 tablespoons of sea salt.
Bring to a rapid boil. Grasp the live crab by the back legs and drop it into the water headfirst. For a more humane method, as you grasp the crab by the legs, stroke the top of its head until it falls asleep and then slowly drop it into the boiling water.
Bring the water back to the boil and only then start timing. You should cook large crabs about 2lb for around 15 - 20 minutes, whilst smaller crabs will only need around 8 - 10 minutes.
Once the water has started to boil again, reduce the heat and simmer for the required time. The crab's shell should turn a bright orange when done. When the crabs are done, immerse them for a few seconds in cold water so that cooking stops and they do not overcook.
Serve immediately with hot melted butter or let the crabs cool down in their shell until they are cool enough for you to remove the meat and refrigerate it until further use. Crabs are also delicious cold.
Allow each crab to cook for approximately 15 minutes once they float to the top, give them an extra minutes. Once they are done, drop them briefly into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let the crab cool for a minute before beginning the cleaning process. To clean the crab: begin by removing the top shell. You can do this by looking for grooves where your thumbs will fit near the rear legs. Pull up on the shell. Flip the crab over and locate the long, almost triangular section of shell running partway down the center of the shell.
Pull that piece up and backwards to remove it. Flip the crab again and remove the gills that run along the sides with your hands. The legs should easily twist off and, in most cases, can be cracked by hand. For harder pieces such as the claws use a mallet to crack them. We like to wrap them in a tea towel before cracking to cut down on the mess.
Take the body and fold it back and forth like a book. The good news is that cooking crabs are super easy—give one of these simple recipes a try. Boiling is the most common way to cook crabs and is a favorite method for all varieties.
The steps are simple:. Steaming crabs is a method that helps crab to retain their tasty juices and keeps them from becoming water-logged, which can happen with boiling. There are three easy steps:. You need to clean crabs before you grill them. It is quicker to boil or steam them first until cooked halfway, then use the grill for finishing the cooking process and adding some fire-rich flavor. Follow these steps:. You need to start with a hot oven, so preheat the oven to F.
Then, use these instructions for roasting crabs:. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.
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