"AL" wrote in message
Quoted message said:The local Asian grocery store sells live blue crabs, about 6" in diameter.
You pick them out yourself from crates using tongs, and put them in a
paper bag. They sell them by weight, but it works out to around $1 each.
I like buying them mainly for the novelty.
But what do I do with them? Right now, I dump them into a pot of boiling
water, and let them cook for about 6 minutes. Then I remove the top shell
and eat the orange buttery substance on the inside of the shell. I cut
the body in half and remove a small amount of very tasty white meat from
near the legs with a small fork. But this takes forever.
What do you guys do?
Well, here in Maryland there's a tried and true method. Here's the full
recipe in the Maryland State cookbook:
1/2 cup seafood seasoning (preferably Old Bay)
1/2 cup salt
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups beer (or you CAN use water)
3 dozen lively blue crabs
Mix seasonings, vinegar and beer (or water). Put one half of crabs in very
large pot with rack and tight-fitting lid. Pour one half of seasoning
mixture over top. Add rest of crabs and remaining seasoning. Steam,
covered, until crabs turn bright red in color, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve hot or cold.
Two warnings: Make sure the crabs are alive when they go in the pot.
Second, don't let live and steamed crabs ever be stored so that they come in
contact with each other.
Then comes the eating:
That "orange buttery substance" you mention is called the "mustard" and is a
delicacy to many.
Lift the apron on the crab's underside and remove the top shell. Remove all
the "guts"
in the center of the crab. Remove the "dead man's fingers" on each side
(soft white things that look like fingers). Break the crab in half.
There's no quick and easy way to pick a crab. A small crab knife, or small
paring knife, will help, so start digging in the crevices. The best meat
is the lump meat. There's not much meat in the legs and the claw meat is
considered OK for soup, perhaps, but is not the delicacy.
Anyway, it's a slow process, best done in the company of good friends at a
paper-covered picnic table, with lots of beer and laughter. Then you don't
notice it's a slow job!
Dora
