Cooking Blue Crabs: Shopping and Prep Tips

A few minutes of care when shopping makes cooking blue crabs much easier. Most of the work happens before the pan gets hot. The rest of this article covers cooking blue crabs in plain, practical terms.

What to look for

The key point is that boiling is popular in the Gulf states, commonly as part of a larger seafood boil with corn, potatoes, and sausage. The crabs simmer in heavily seasoned water and absorb the spices directly into the meat. Allowing them to soak in the seasoned liquid after cooking deepens the flavor.

Fresh, well-stored seafood does most of the work for you.

Questions to ask

More often than not, picking crabs is a skill learned through practice. Pull off the apron, the small flap on the underside, then lift off the top shell. Remove the feathery gills and rinse out the center. Break the body in half and pick the meat from each chamber, then crack the claws with a mallet or knife handle.

Fresh, well-stored seafood does most of the work for you.

Getting it home cold

Put simply, tools such as minor mallets, picks, and knives help, along with plenty of paper towels and a bucket for shells. Serve with melted butter or vinegar for dipping. Leftover picked meat makes excellent crab cakes, dips, and salads.

If you remember one thing, let it be that dry fish sears and wet fish steams.

Storing it

The key point is that blue crabs are a summer tradition along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, typically steamed or boiled and served whole on tables covered with newspaper. Cooking them at home requires a large pot, some patience, and a willingness to get messy.

Prepping it

It helps to remember that buy blue crabs live and cook them the same day. Lively crabs that move and react are the freshest. Keep them in a cooler or a box in the refrigerator, covered with a damp towel, never in fresh water or on ice where they can drown or freeze. Discard any that have died before cooking.

Keeping seafood cold right up to cooking time protects both flavor and safety.

Ready to cook

Steaming is the most common method in the Chesapeake region. Place a rack in a large pot above a mixture of water and vinegar, sometimes with beer. Layer the crabs in the pot, sprinkling each layer generously with seafood seasoning, such as a blend of celery salt, paprika, and mustard. Cover and steam for about twenty to thirty minutes, until the shells turn bright orange-red.

Practical tips

Here are a few easy places to start:

• Let the pan get properly hot before adding the fish.
• Pat fish dry before it goes in the pan.
• Swap fish of similar texture when your first choice is not available.
• Pull fish off the heat just as it turns opaque.

The bottom line

The best seafood dish is the one you feel confident making again. Take it one dish at a time. Each one teaches you how your own stove and pan behave.