How to Clean and Cook Blue Crabs

When you think of cooking blue crabs you normally think of heaping them into a huge pot and steaming them alive. Even though I worked in a Crab House for years and that is the recipe we used to cook the crabs, I still come back to cooking them the way I learned growing up. We would clean them while they were alive and then cook them.

Now, to clean a blue crab while it is still alive you have to be very just that they do not chomp down on your finger with their claws. To avoid this there are two methods that you can use to slow their reflexes.

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1. You can place them in very hot water
2. You can ice them down real good

How to Clean and Cook Blue Crabs

These two methods will allow you to pick up the crab and not have to worry about being bit.

Cleaning a live blue crab

Once you have them sedated you will need a knife, running water, a huge trash bag and a place to put the clean crabs. Succeed these steps to clean the live crab.

1. Lay crab on its back and using the knife remove the apron/abdomen of the crab.
2. Take the knife and insert it straight through the chance where the apron once was and remove the shell of the crab disposing of it in the trash bag.
3. While rinsing under running water, remove the dead men gills and any guts that were left in the crab, being very just not to remove any of the white flesh/meat.
4. normally the face of the crab will come off with the shell but if not be sure to remove the crabs face as well.
5. Do one final rinse under the water and place clean crabs in a bowl and set aside.

With your crabs now clean it is time to cook them.

Cooking blue crabs

Since you know longer have the shell on the crab it takes a lot less time for you to cook the crabs then it normally would. Add water and seasoning (we use J.O. Spice #2 ) to the bottom of the pan and stir. Place lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, place about 10 crabs face down in the juices, cover and let cook for exactly 10 minutes. I like to move them colse to half way straight through cooking them to ensure that the juices soak into all the crab's meat.

There you have it! After all that hard work, melt you some butter, get you some vinegar and enjoy your blue crabs.

How to Clean and Cook Blue Crabs

improving Your Cooking

Cooking is more than just a chore. It can be a very fulfilling experience. When you make a meal you are putting your work and your attention into something, and with just the right number of experience, equipment, and ingredients can make something fairly magical.

Anybody can learn to make themselves at least a few nice meals and it is irrelevant whether you prefer to eat straightforward or have a involved palette. The key to eating well is you knowing what to do with what you've got.

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How can you expect to learn how food is supposed to taste when all you do is scarf it down? When you eat your meals, savor every bite. Just because something is hot off the grill or freshly baked from the oven doesn't mean it needs immediate ingestion. study it. See how it was prepared; look at the spices on it, the color, and the texture of the cut. Bite it and let the flavor stay for a bit before you wash it down with a drink. Take note the freshness of ingredients. Try and replicate this.

improving Your Cooking

Make sure when you cook that your major kitchen appliances are working properly. Know how to use them or learn how to if you still feel worried. The great you can operate things like heat on electric or gas ranges the great the results you will get. Come to be comfortable timing meals. Are you well-known with all the extra features? Some of the more professional grade brands like Viking and Wolf kitchen appliances will have extra settings for the type of meals you intend to make, and may make setting temperatures easier. While you're at it get yourself some good kitchenware: mixing bowls, measuring cups for both dry and liquids, whisks, cutting boards, stainless steel knives, etc. A great equipped kitchen will make cooking easier.

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