I was at Food Harbor in Addison (Chicago area) today picking up some frozen
craw fish and quail. I couldn't resist bringing home a live dungeness crab.
It was about a foot in diameter, with thick arms and legs. Around $13.
When I got home, I put it in the sink and played with it while I waited for
the water to boil. I figured it would be dizzy after the car ride, and weak
from lack of oxygen. But it was very vigorous and I was afraid it would
climb out of the sink.

I put a Zatarain's boil bag in the water along with some salt, then used
tongs to wrestle the crab into the pot. I'll have to remember to get a
larger pot for next time. 20 minutes later it was done.

I broke off 2 arms and 8 legs and put them in a bowl. I removed the top
shell and set it aside, being careful not to spill the yummy goo on the
inside surface. I broke off and discarded the apron and the gills, then cut
the body in half, discarding, the head, stomach, etc. I wasn't sure whether
to rinse away the goo in the body, but decided to leave it. I then cut the
two halves in half, like at Red Lobster.

I grabbed a small fork and a nutcracker and dug in.

Mmmm good.

The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.

This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.

AL wrote:
> I was at Food Harbor in Addison (Chicago area) today picking up some
> frozen craw fish and quail. I couldn't resist bringing home a live
> dungeness crab. It was about a foot in diameter, with thick arms and
> legs. Around $13. When I got home, I put it in the sink and played
> with it while I waited for the water to boil. I figured it would be
> dizzy after the car ride, and weak from lack of oxygen. But it was
> very vigorous and I was afraid it would climb out of the sink.
>
> I put a Zatarain's boil bag in the water along with some salt, then
> used tongs to wrestle the crab into the pot. I'll have to remember
> to get a larger pot for next time. 20 minutes later it was done.
>
> I broke off 2 arms and 8 legs and put them in a bowl. I removed the
> top shell and set it aside, being careful not to spill the yummy goo
> on the inside surface. I broke off and discarded the apron and the
> gills, then cut the body in half, discarding, the head, stomach, etc.
> I wasn't sure whether to rinse away the goo in the body, but decided
> to leave it. I then cut the two halves in half, like at Red Lobster.
>
> I grabbed a small fork and a nutcracker and dug in.
>
> Mmmm good.
>
> The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
> would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.
>
> This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.

A little tip AL;
Use the little pointy joints on the ends of the legs for a pick to ease the
meat out of the leg shells after cracking. More fun and more authentic way
to eat it.

Ken.

In article >, "AL" >
wrote:

> I was at Food Harbor in Addison (Chicago area) today picking up some frozen
> craw fish and quail. I couldn't resist bringing home a live dungeness crab.
> It was about a foot in diameter, with thick arms and legs. Around $13.
> When I got home, I put it in the sink and played with it while I waited for
> the water to boil. I figured it would be dizzy after the car ride, and weak
> from lack of oxygen. But it was very vigorous and I was afraid it would
> climb out of the sink.
>
> I put a Zatarain's boil bag in the water along with some salt, then used
> tongs to wrestle the crab into the pot. I'll have to remember to get a
> larger pot for next time. 20 minutes later it was done.
>
> I broke off 2 arms and 8 legs and put them in a bowl. I removed the top
> shell and set it aside, being careful not to spill the yummy goo on the
> inside surface. I broke off and discarded the apron and the gills, then cut
> the body in half, discarding, the head, stomach, etc. I wasn't sure whether
> to rinse away the goo in the body, but decided to leave it. I then cut the
> two halves in half, like at Red Lobster.
>
> I grabbed a small fork and a nutcracker and dug in.
>
> Mmmm good.
>
> The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
> would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.
>
> This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.
>
>

Nothing beats dungeness except for king crab. :-)
I even like them better than snow crab!

And yeah, they are best fresh but I'm in Texas now.
Wal-mart has had whole fresh frozen ones for under $6.00 per lb. lately.

I pretty much don't bother with blue crabs anymore...

Cheers!
--
Om.

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

AL wrote on 11/12/2005:

> I was at Food Harbor in Addison (Chicago area) today picking up some frozen
> craw fish and quail. I couldn't resist bringing home a live dungeness crab.
> It was about a foot in diameter, with thick arms and legs. Around $13.

<snip>

If you mean that the body was a foot across not counting the legs,
that's a big boy.
Personally I prefer crab, especially Dungeness, to lobster. I've never
had king or
snow crab, so I can't compare.

On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 18:48:23 -0600, "AL" > wrote:

>The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
>would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.
>
>This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.

Dungeness, imo, is the best of the crabs.
--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

In article >,
Denny Wheeler > wrote:

> On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 18:48:23 -0600, "AL" > wrote:
>
> >The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
> >would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.
> >
> >This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.
>
> Dungeness, imo, is the best of the crabs.
> --
> -denny-

The only one I like better is King. :-)

I also prefer crab to lobster.
Lobster is good, but it's over-rated IMHO.
--
Om.

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

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:


> The only one I like better is King. :-)
>
> I also prefer crab to lobster.
> Lobster is good, but it's over-rated IMHO.
> --
> Om.
>
> "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack
Nicholson

My West Coast birth necessitates that I rate Dungeness my Crab of Choice,
although King *is* a close second. Lobster?? Too lobster-y . . .

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

In article >,
OmManiPadmeOmelet > wrote:

> In article >,
> Denny Wheeler > wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 18:48:23 -0600, "AL" > wrote:
> >
> > >The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
> > >would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.
> > >
> > >This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.
> >
> > Dungeness, imo, is the best of the crabs.

Here in Seattle, we are seeing live Dungeness selling for about $4/lb.
Gonna have to get me some. My favorite recipe for these critters is
Singapore Chile Crab. A total mess to eat, but really good.

Since I grew up in Miami, I'd still have to say that my fave crustacean
is Stone Crab, served cold with mustard-cream sauce. But that stuff is
expensive.

--
Julian Vrieslander

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 05:56:43 GMT, Julian Vrieslander
> wrote:

>> > Dungeness, imo, is the best of the crabs.
>
>Here in Seattle, we are seeing live Dungeness selling for about $4/lb.
>Gonna have to get me some. My favorite recipe for these critters is
>Singapore Chile Crab. A total mess to eat, but really good.
>
>Since I grew up in Miami, I'd still have to say that my fave crustacean
>is Stone Crab, served cold with mustard-cream sauce. But that stuff is
>expensive.

I'll still take Dungeness over stone crab. Had some in Miami years
ago and was disappointed. I'd been expecting something better than
Dungeness. I actually like King or snow crab about as well as stone
crab. Don't like the texture of either king or snow that well,
though.

I live in Everett, btw, after having lived in Seattle pretty much all
my life.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

In article
>
,
Julian Vrieslander > wrote:

> In article >,
> OmManiPadmeOmelet > wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > Denny Wheeler > wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 18:48:23 -0600, "AL" > wrote:
> > >
> > > >The meat was fantastic. And, I couldn't believe how much there was. I
> > > >would say more than a lobster of comparable price. I was stuffed.
> > > >
> > > >This sure beat those little blue crabs. I'll have to do it again.
> > >
> > > Dungeness, imo, is the best of the crabs.
>
> Here in Seattle, we are seeing live Dungeness selling for about $4/lb.
> Gonna have to get me some. My favorite recipe for these critters is
> Singapore Chile Crab. A total mess to eat, but really good.

Messy food does not equal bad. <grins>

>
> Since I grew up in Miami, I'd still have to say that my fave crustacean
> is Stone Crab, served cold with mustard-cream sauce. But that stuff is
> expensive.

Yeah. I've seen stone crab claws. IMHO they were not worth the trouble.
For THAT price, I'll buy King Crab. King was running $16.00 per lb. for
awhile but lately it's been down to around $10.00 per lb. Dungeness is
running just under $6.00 per lb. atm. Snow crab is down around $4.00 per
lb. but I was dissapointed with the last batch I bought. It tasted like
it was cooked in salt water. :-( A bit salty and dry and I shell it cold
after it thaws when I buy it, then either use it in recipes or heat it
up in Lemon Butter. I ate the last batch with some sourdough bread. ;-d

Is it just me or are crawfish tails pretty fishy tasting?
--
Om.

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

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 03:31:38 -0600, OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:


>
>Is it just me or are crawfish tails pretty fishy tasting?

I found that the frozen kind from local farmers are more fishy then
the China frozen. But the local fresh are not at all fishy.

Pan Ohco

In article >,
Pan Ohco > wrote:

> On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 03:31:38 -0600, OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
>
>
> >
> >Is it just me or are crawfish tails pretty fishy tasting?
>
> I found that the frozen kind from local farmers are more fishy then
> the China frozen. But the local fresh are not at all fishy.
>
> Pan Ohco
>

I'll have to try getting some live ones again.
I can generally get them this time of year.

Thanks!
--
Om.

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

In article >,
Denny Wheeler > wrote:

> I'll still take Dungeness over stone crab. Had some in Miami years
> ago and was disappointed.

Might have been out of season. Fresh-caught stones are firm and
succulent. Some restaurants refuse to serve them unless they are fresh.
Others use frozen crab, so they can serve them year round. Defrosted,
the texture and flavor are not as good.

Fresh stone crab meat has a texture somewhat similar to lobster. It
comes out of the shell in large meaty chunks. Dungeness is lighter and
flakier.

Interesting factoid: when stone crabs are caught, the crabbers break off
one claw and toss them back into the sea. The critters can use the
remaining claw to defend and feed themselves. So in theory, they are
not killed.

--
Julian Vrieslander

In article
>
,
Julian Vrieslander > wrote:

> Interesting factoid: when stone crabs are caught, the crabbers break off
> one claw and toss them back into the sea. The critters can use the
> remaining claw to defend and feed themselves. So in theory, they are
> not killed.

Forgot to mention - the missing claws grow back.

--
Julian Vrieslander