McGrath's, a northwestern US chain, has a restaurant here in Scottsdale,
AZ. I've enjoyed them since they opened about 1/2 year ago. However,
they've had problems getting dungeness crabs.

Well, I stopped in yesterday and they seemed to have a new supplier.
They had a whole tank of the little buggers.

So I ordered up a few oysters as an starter, along with a cup of clam
chowder, and one crab.

The oysters were perfect, the clam chowder was just the right mix of
briney and sweet and creamy. And the crab was huge!

The first couple of bits were a bit too hot. And then it cooled just
enough to dig into the best bits. I started with the cells in the body,
but by the time I got to the legs, it was cold.

So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
enjoy the best of both while still warm.

But when trying to devourer an entire crab by one's self, you've got to
admit that there are going to be parts that get cold before you get to
them. Maybe the legs should go first as the body has more mass and will
stay hot longer?

Fellow crab lovers: I appeal to you. What is your "secret" strategy????

Thanks in advance.

On Mon 17 Apr 2006 05:47:07p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it PastaLover?

> McGrath's, a northwestern US chain, has a restaurant here in Scottsdale,
> AZ. I've enjoyed them since they opened about 1/2 year ago. However,
> they've had problems getting dungeness crabs.
>
> Well, I stopped in yesterday and they seemed to have a new supplier.
> They had a whole tank of the little buggers.
>
> So I ordered up a few oysters as an starter, along with a cup of clam
> chowder, and one crab.
>
> The oysters were perfect, the clam chowder was just the right mix of
> briney and sweet and creamy. And the crab was huge!
>
> The first couple of bits were a bit too hot. And then it cooled just
> enough to dig into the best bits. I started with the cells in the body,
> but by the time I got to the legs, it was cold.
>
> So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
> with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
> enjoy the best of both while still warm.
>
> But when trying to devourer an entire crab by one's self, you've got to
> admit that there are going to be parts that get cold before you get to
> them. Maybe the legs should go first as the body has more mass and will
> stay hot longer?
>
> Fellow crab lovers: I appeal to you. What is your "secret" strategy????
>
> Thanks in advance.

Legs first. Eat fast. Don't share. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
28.19...
> On Mon 17 Apr 2006 05:47:07p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
PastaLover?
>
> > McGrath's, a northwestern US chain, has a restaurant here in Scottsdale,
> > AZ. I've enjoyed them since they opened about 1/2 year ago. However,
> > they've had problems getting dungeness crabs.
> >
> > Well, I stopped in yesterday and they seemed to have a new supplier.
> > They had a whole tank of the little buggers.
> >
> > So I ordered up a few oysters as an starter, along with a cup of clam
> > chowder, and one crab.
> >
> > The oysters were perfect, the clam chowder was just the right mix of
> > briney and sweet and creamy. And the crab was huge!
> >
> > The first couple of bits were a bit too hot. And then it cooled just
> > enough to dig into the best bits. I started with the cells in the body,
> > but by the time I got to the legs, it was cold.
> >
> > So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
> > with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
> > enjoy the best of both while still warm.
> >
> > But when trying to devourer an entire crab by one's self, you've got to
> > admit that there are going to be parts that get cold before you get to
> > them. Maybe the legs should go first as the body has more mass and will
> > stay hot longer?
> >
> > Fellow crab lovers: I appeal to you. What is your "secret" strategy????
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
>
> Legs first. Eat fast. Don't share. :-)
>

Yep, I'd have to agree with Wayne. :~) Dungeness doesn't really have much
meat in the body; it's all in the legs and in the "knuckles" where the meat
meets the body. Go for the legs and then contend with the "knuckles". And,
IMO, anyway, I don't care if it gets cold. I'll eat it cold or warm.

kili

PastaLover wrote:
> [snip]
> So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
> with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
> enjoy the best of both while still warm. [snip]

Keep practicing and you will get faster at cracking and picking the
crab. Do the legs first, as someone has already said. At home, we
like melted butter and lemon wedges. You can pop the butter back into
the microwave for a few seconds every now and then to keep it hot. It
doesn't matter that much whether the crab is hot, warm or room temp.
-aem

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:47:07 -0700, PastaLover wrote:

> The first couple of bits were a bit too hot. And then it cooled just
> enough to dig into the best bits. I started with the cells in the body,
> but by the time I got to the legs, it was cold.
>
> So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
> with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
> enjoy the best of both while still warm.

Nothing wrong with lukewarm dungeness crab. I like 'em better at
room temp (or just barely warm) anyway. And I've eaten at least
250 (300?) dungeness crabs in my lifetime.

-sw

In article > ,
"kilikini" > wrote:

> Yep, I'd have to agree with Wayne. :~) Dungeness doesn't really have much
> meat in the body; it's all in the legs and in the "knuckles" where the meat
> meets the body. Go for the legs and then contend with the "knuckles". And,
> IMO, anyway, I don't care if it gets cold. I'll eat it cold or warm.

The Dungeness crabs that we've been getting here in Seattle have quite a
bit of meat in the body. But it's a bit tricky to extract - you have to
dig through some fibrous membranes or walls.

My fave recipe for these critters is Singapore Chile Crab. The crabs
are broken up and cooked in a wonderful sauce: sweet, hot, and creamy.
I've read that this is the national dish of Singapore, and I can see
why...

--
Julian Vrieslander

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:47:07 -0700, PastaLover wrote:
>
>> The first couple of bits were a bit too hot. And then it cooled just
>> enough to dig into the best bits. I started with the cells in the
>> body, but by the time I got to the legs, it was cold.
>>
>> So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
>> with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs
>> and enjoy the best of both while still warm.
>
> Nothing wrong with lukewarm dungeness crab. I like 'em better at
> room temp (or just barely warm) anyway. And I've eaten at least
> 250 (300?) dungeness crabs in my lifetime.
>
> -sw

A tip; First move - break off one of the tip ends of a leg. You now have a
pick to get at the meat.

Ken.
--
Volunteer your idle computer time for cancer research
http//www.grid.org/download/gold/download.htm
Return address courtesy of Spammotel http://www.spammotel.com/

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:10 -0700, Ken Davey wrote:

> A tip; First move - break off one of the tip ends of a leg. You now have a
> pick to get at the meat.

Real crab pickers eat the meat that's in the tip too.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

kilikini wrote:
> "Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
> 28.19...
>
>>On Mon 17 Apr 2006 05:47:07p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
>
> PastaLover?
>
>>>McGrath's, a northwestern US chain, has a restaurant here in Scottsdale,
>>>AZ. I've enjoyed them since they opened about 1/2 year ago. However,
>>>they've had problems getting dungeness crabs.
>>>
>>>Well, I stopped in yesterday and they seemed to have a new supplier.
>>>They had a whole tank of the little buggers.
>>>
>>>So I ordered up a few oysters as an starter, along with a cup of clam
>>>chowder, and one crab.
>>>
>>>The oysters were perfect, the clam chowder was just the right mix of
>>>briney and sweet and creamy. And the crab was huge!
>>>
>>>The first couple of bits were a bit too hot. And then it cooled just
>>>enough to dig into the best bits. I started with the cells in the body,
>>>but by the time I got to the legs, it was cold.
>>>
>>>So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
>>>with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
>>>enjoy the best of both while still warm.
>>>
>>>But when trying to devourer an entire crab by one's self, you've got to
>>>admit that there are going to be parts that get cold before you get to
>>>them. Maybe the legs should go first as the body has more mass and will
>>>stay hot longer?
>>>
>>>Fellow crab lovers: I appeal to you. What is your "secret" strategy????
>>>
>>>Thanks in advance.
>>
>>Legs first. Eat fast. Don't share. :-)
>>
>
>
> Yep, I'd have to agree with Wayne. :~) Dungeness doesn't really have much
> meat in the body; it's all in the legs and in the "knuckles" where the meat

You're not trying hard enough. It's a royal pain to get, but most
Dungees have tons of meat in the little cells of the body, right where
the legs attach. And I think it's much sweeter than the leg and knuckle
meat.

> meets the body. Go for the legs and then contend with the "knuckles". And,
> IMO, anyway, I don't care if it gets cold. I'll eat it cold or warm.
>
> kili
>
>

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:52:54 -0700, PastaLover wrote:

> kilikini wrote:

> > Yep, I'd have to agree with Wayne. :~) Dungeness doesn't really have much
> > meat in the body; it's all in the legs and in the "knuckles" where the meat
>
> You're not trying hard enough. It's a royal pain to get, but most
> Dungees have tons of meat in the little cells of the body, right where
> the legs attach. And I think it's much sweeter than the leg and knuckle
> meat.
>
> > meets the body. Go for the legs and then contend with the "knuckles". And,

Dungeness crab has a LOT of body meat. Probably more in proportion to
the legs. Don't get me wrong, the legs are good hunks of meat.... but
I think someone must have it mixed up with King Crab.

> > IMO, anyway, I don't care if it gets cold. I'll eat it cold or warm.

Dungeness is absolutely wonderful cold. It's what they use in salads
around here.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

PastaLover wrote:

Ummm, crab.

> So what's the best strategy? I'm thinking the best thing is to share
> with someone. Give someone special half the body and half the legs and
> enjoy the best of both while still warm.

Legs first.

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:10 -0700, Ken Davey wrote:
>
>
>>A tip; First move - break off one of the tip ends of a leg. You now have a
>>pick to get at the meat.
>
>
> Picking at the meat is how you destroy a crab. I take a more
> logical approach to picking apart a crab and just use my fingers.
> Every piece comes out in one chunk if you know how to do it
> right. I especially like sectioning the body.
>
> Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
> for blues, pick or not.
>
> -sw

Oh, gawd, it's been ages since I had a mess of blue crabs. There used to
be a little place in San Diego that served them. They take a lot of
work, but boy, they were good!

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:10 -0700, Ken Davey wrote:
>
> > A tip; First move - break off one of the tip ends of a leg. You now have a
> > pick to get at the meat.
>
> Picking at the meat is how you destroy a crab. I take a more
> logical approach to picking apart a crab and just use my fingers.
> Every piece comes out in one chunk if you know how to do it
> right. I especially like sectioning the body.
>
> Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
> for blues, pick or not.

A few words of advice : soft shell crabs.

Dean G.

>
> Nothing wrong with lukewarm dungeness crab. I like 'em better at
> room temp (or just barely warm) anyway. And I've eaten at least
> 250 (300?) dungeness crabs in my lifetime.
>
> -sw

Couldn't agree more... Don't worry about the temp. Sit back, relax, take
your time and enjoy every tiny morsel. Make a mess too... who cares that's
what makes it fun

Larry T

Steve Wertz wrote:

> On 18 Apr 2006 08:34:42 -0700, Dean G. wrote:
>
>
>>A few words of advice : soft shell crabs.
>
>
> They're good, but at 5 bucks each, not that good.
>
> -sw

I have a crab and eggplant casserole recipe that is very good and nicely
stretches a small amount of crab meat.
---
JL

Steve Wertz wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:10 -0700, Ken Davey wrote:
>
>
>>A tip; First move - break off one of the tip ends of a leg. You now have a
>>pick to get at the meat.
>
>
> Picking at the meat is how you destroy a crab. I take a more
> logical approach to picking apart a crab and just use my fingers.
> Every piece comes out in one chunk if you know how to do it
> right. I especially like sectioning the body.
>
> Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
> for blues, pick or not.
>
> -sw

Neither do I.
IMHO blues may be tasty but not enough meat to make them worth the effort.

sf wrote:


> Dungeness crab has a LOT of body meat. Probably more in proportion to
> the legs. Don't get me wrong, the legs are good hunks of meat.... but
> I think someone must have it mixed up with King Crab.

I'd eat ONLY king crab if I could afford it. <G>

>
>
>> > IMO, anyway, I don't care if it gets cold. I'll eat it cold or warm.
>
>
> Dungeness is absolutely wonderful cold. It's what they use in salads
> around here.

It's what I usually get. I prefer it very much over snow crab.

"OmManiPadmiOmelet" wrote

> Steve Wertz wrote:
>>
>> Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
>> for blues, pick or not.
>>
>> -sw
>
> Neither do I.
> IMHO blues may be tasty but not enough meat to make them worth the effort.

You don't notice the work when you have plenty of crabs, plenty of friends
and plenty of beer! Picking those blues becomes a real pleasure - the
slower it goes, the more beer is swilled. ;-)

Dora

"limey" > wrote in message
...
>
> "OmManiPadmiOmelet" wrote
>
>> Steve Wertz wrote:
>>>
>>> Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
>>> for blues, pick or not.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>> Neither do I.
>> IMHO blues may be tasty but not enough meat to make them worth the
>> effort.
>
> You don't notice the work when you have plenty of crabs, plenty of friends
> and plenty of beer! Picking those blues becomes a real pleasure - the
> slower it goes, the more beer is swilled. ;-)
>
> Dora
I'll bet you know Cantler's
http://www.cantlers.com/crabs-md-crab-houses.shtml - a good ways for us to
go --
This view wasn't much http://tinypic.com/vwpb94.jpg -- we ate next to the
parking lot! They do have nice views.
We've had good blues there before, but this picture taken this day, they
weren't smacking good.
Crabs had doubled in price, as well, from the time we had gone there before,
so we were doubly disappointed.
Plenty of crabs, tho. And I should've had beer instead --
Dee Dee

limey wrote:

> "OmManiPadmiOmelet" wrote
>
>
>>Steve Wertz wrote:
>>
>>>Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
>>>for blues, pick or not.
>>>
>>>-sw
>>
>>Neither do I.
>>IMHO blues may be tasty but not enough meat to make them worth the effort.
>
>
> You don't notice the work when you have plenty of crabs, plenty of friends
> and plenty of beer! Picking those blues becomes a real pleasure - the
> slower it goes, the more beer is swilled. ;-)
>
> Dora
>
>

That is a good point...... ;-D

Same goes for a big pile of crawfish methinks!

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:27:26 -0500, OmManiPadmiOmelet wrote:

> sf wrote:
> >
> > Dungeness is absolutely wonderful cold. It's what they use in salads
> > around here.
>
> It's what I usually get. I prefer it very much over snow crab.
>
Now you've got me wondering.... what are those things called? King
Crab or Snow Crab? Maybe I threw out the wrong name.... I'm talking
about the ones with the long legs - to me they are the Daddy Long Legs
of crab (I only see their legs sold).
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

On 2006-04-19, sf > wrote:

> Now you've got me wondering.... what are those things called? King
> Crab or Snow Crab? Maybe I threw out the wrong name.... I'm talking
> about the ones with the long legs - to me they are the Daddy Long Legs
> of crab (I only see their legs sold).

They're both similar leg-wise, but king crabs are bigger with bigger
longer legs.

nb

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:25:48 -0500, OmManiPadmiOmelet wrote:

> Steve Wertz wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:10 -0700, Ken Davey wrote:
>>
>>
>>>A tip; First move - break off one of the tip ends of a leg. You now have a
>>>pick to get at the meat.
>>
>>
>> Picking at the meat is how you destroy a crab. I take a more
>> logical approach to picking apart a crab and just use my fingers.
>> Every piece comes out in one chunk if you know how to do it
>> right. I especially like sectioning the body.
>>
>> Note that this is only for dungeness. I don't have the patience
>> for blues, pick or not.
>>
>> -sw
>
> Neither do I.
> IMHO blues may be tasty but not enough meat to make them worth the effort.


Whoa!.. Blue crabs are the best and section just like the dungeness.
Most meat comes out in large clumps. Shell, break in half and then
in quarter. You get 2 LARGE clumps and 2 smaller ones plus those great
claws. TOO good!

sf wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:27:26 -0500, OmManiPadmiOmelet wrote:
>
>
>> sf wrote:
>> >
>> > Dungeness is absolutely wonderful cold. It's what they use in salads
>> > around here.
>>
>> It's what I usually get. I prefer it very much over snow crab.
>>
>
> Now you've got me wondering.... what are those things called? King
> Crab or Snow Crab? Maybe I threw out the wrong name.... I'm talking
> about the ones with the long legs - to me they are the Daddy Long Legs
> of crab (I only see their legs sold).

Just what the title says:

Dungeness crab.

One time on Usenet, Julian Vrieslander > said:
> In article > ,
> "kilikini" > wrote:
>
> > Yep, I'd have to agree with Wayne. :~) Dungeness doesn't really have much
> > meat in the body; it's all in the legs and in the "knuckles" where the meat
> > meets the body. Go for the legs and then contend with the "knuckles". And,
> > IMO, anyway, I don't care if it gets cold. I'll eat it cold or warm.
>
> The Dungeness crabs that we've been getting here in Seattle have quite a
> bit of meat in the body. But it's a bit tricky to extract - you have to
> dig through some fibrous membranes or walls.

I agree with you, Julian -- I've gotten Dungeness in both Shelton
and Westport in the past 2 weeks, both had lots of meat in the body.

> My fave recipe for these critters is Singapore Chile Crab. The crabs
> are broken up and cooked in a wonderful sauce: sweet, hot, and creamy.
> I've read that this is the national dish of Singapore, and I can see
> why...

Argh! I wish I'd known that -- Buddy (DS) did a school report on
Singapore recently, but used photos we found of satay -- didn't see
the image of Chilli Crab just below it:

http://images.visitsingapore.com/Her...p?user_group=4

Oh well, his report turned out great anyway... :-)

--
jj - rfc (Jani) in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

One time on Usenet, sfpipeline_at_gmail.com said:

<snip>

> Dungeness is absolutely wonderful cold. It's what they use in salads
> around here.

I buy them pre-cooked and ice cold -- dipped in hot garlic butter
or seasoned mayonnaise, they're just heavenly. I can't even remember
the last time I ate one hot or even warm...

--
jj - rfc (Jani) in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~