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?

AL wrote:
> 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?
>
>

Thats pretty much how you eat crabs. The usual variation on the east
coast would be to add old bay seasoning. BTW, you are missing out on
some tasty meat in the claws and legs.

"George" > wrote in message
>
> Thats pretty much how you eat crabs. The usual variation on the east coast
> would be to add old bay seasoning. BTW, you are missing out on some tasty
> meat in the claws and legs.

This is best done over a picnic table with some friends and beer.

In article >,
"AL" > wrote:

> 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?
>
>

I don't generally buy blue crabs for that very reason. ;-)
Very little meat for a lot of work, but they ARE very good!

You missed one step tho'. Rubberband the claws, then put them on the
kitchen floor for cat toys while you prepare the side dishes. <G>

It's pretty entertaining. Those blue crabs are lively little suckers!!!

I start them in cold water. IMHO they come out better that way.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

"AL" > wrote in message
. ..
> 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?
>
>

You could always make she-crab soup out of them. It's awesome. I don't
have a specific recipe, but you can google it.

kili

George wrote:
> AL wrote:
>
>> 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?
>>
>
> Thats pretty much how you eat crabs. The usual variation on the east
> coast would be to add old bay seasoning. BTW, you are missing out on
> some tasty meat in the claws and legs.

Yeah, it's a lot of work, but the best meat is in the claws.

"AL" wrote in message
> 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

"limey" > wrote in message
...
>
> "AL" wrote in message
>> 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

One last tip - refrigerate the live crabs for a little while before
steaming. The cold makes them sluggish and not so feisty.

Dora

"AL" > wrote in message
. ..
> 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?
>


My buddy, a retired Marine cook, has a pot the size of a bathtub -- cast
iron. He builds a fire in his yard (sunken in a small ditch) and has the
pot over it... boils some water, adds old bay seasoning... sausage...
corn... miscellaneous other items... and then dumps in the crabs.

Made his 5-year-old girl cry. Dunno why. She cheered up when it was time
to eat.


---
When I can't stop farting...
http://tinyurl.com/bm3mf

dwacôn wrote:
> "AL" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> 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?
>>
>
>
> My buddy, a retired Marine cook, has a pot the size of a bathtub --
> cast iron. He builds a fire in his yard (sunken in a small ditch)
> and has the pot over it... boils some water, adds old bay
> seasoning... sausage... corn... miscellaneous other items... and then
> dumps in the crabs.
>
> Made his 5-year-old girl cry. Dunno why. She cheered up when it was
> time to eat.
>
That's Frogmore Stew. As in, Frogmore, South Carolina (now known again as
St. Helena since the hoity toity folks decided the name Frogmore was too low
country). I've posted the recipe numerous times over the years. It's a
favorite on the menu at Steamers on Lady's Island.

Jill


Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> dwacôn wrote:
>> "AL" > wrote in message
>> . ..
>>> 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?
>>>
>>
>>
>> My buddy, a retired Marine cook, has a pot the size of a bathtub --
>> cast iron. He builds a fire in his yard (sunken in a small ditch)
>> and has the pot over it... boils some water, adds old bay
>> seasoning... sausage... corn... miscellaneous other items... and then
>> dumps in the crabs.
>>
>> Made his 5-year-old girl cry. Dunno why. She cheered up when it was
>> time to eat.
>>
> That's Frogmore Stew. As in, Frogmore, South Carolina (now known again as
> St. Helena since the hoity toity folks decided the name Frogmore was too
> low
> country). I've posted the recipe numerous times over the years. It's a
> favorite on the menu at Steamers on Lady's Island.


I'll have to reserve a table there. Thanks, Jill!


--
Jennifer Lopez Lingerie *plus* Gourmet Goodies
www.cafepress.com/dwacon

On 2005-11-05, AL > wrote:

> But what do I do with them?

Cook them till they are red.

nb