# A whole lotta crab!



## infinitecookbook (May 16, 2011)

This thread is dedicated to the crabs of the world (not the people, the sea creature... the crabby people need to cheer up!).

Seriously, I am fascinated by the different crabs there are and I am curious if you know about different types of crabs or crab dishes you can share (especially with pics). Seems like a worth topic. Yes? 

I'll start if off with a picture of an incredibly delicious crab I ate when visiting Panama City one time. They called it a Panamanian King Crab I believe. Take a look at this! It has claws like a Maine Lobster.


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## betterthanabox (May 17, 2011)

Could you imagine that thing getting a toe or something?


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## FrankZ (May 17, 2011)

We are kinda partial to the Maryland Blue Crab around these here parts.

Steam em with Old Bay and a shot of mustard.






Get a dozen or so and it is a good thing.


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## ChefJune (May 17, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> We are kinda partial to the Maryland Blue Crab around these here parts.
> 
> Steam em with Old Bay and a shot of mustard.
> 
> ...


 
I LOVE these!  Just go easy on the Old Bay. I want to taste the crab.


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## Hoot (May 17, 2011)

Those little blue crabs certainly are mighty good....ornery little critters, though.
I 'spect I would need a tick more'n a dozen. I believe a man could starve to death right while eating them.....but they truly are excellent!


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## FrankZ (May 17, 2011)

Some places we go a dozen is more than enough for both of us, some places... well...

They can get quite spendy but the $106's have always treated us well and we normally bring a few home.

Just for information crabs are usually sold by the dozen with the number being the price per dozen.  There is no standard rating system, but if people feel ripped off (too small for too much) people don't go back.  If the crabs are light or mushy you (usually) can get a replacement for it, though we have had a couple times the restaurant take a crab off the bill because they don't have it to replace.  They have been known to substitute a larger crab to keep you happy.  The biggest you sometimes get in half dozen.

A price list will look something like:

$25
$35
$45
$60
$85
$95
$105

When you walk in they tell you what they have that night.  You sometimes have to call ahead and reserve the larger sizes.


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## infinitecookbook (May 17, 2011)

I love Maryland Style Blue Crab! Years ago they used to have all you can eat Blue Crabs at this place called The Rustic Inn in South Florida. They don't do that anymore but they do still have them and they're sometimes big. So half a dozen does the trick for me usually. One thing I like about Blue Crabs is that more than half the meal you're working so you end up eating less (good diet). Thanks for posting! Looks great.


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## infinitecookbook (May 17, 2011)

Here's something to try if you ever get the opportunity. I was in Hamburg Germany and there was this incredible fish market street I visited. I saw for the first time LIVE Alaskan King Crab in tanks. But I was alone so I didn't get it. I should have but I wasn't going to eat the whole thing myself in one sitting. 

Then last year I was in Vancouver for an extended period of time (working on a record) and they put me up in an apartment right across from an Oriental Market that had tons of live seafood tanks. It was amazing! I spent all my per diem on that almost everyday and cooked at the apartment instead of going out. Ate like a KING... and one day they even had KING! Live King Crab. I was staying with the guitar player in the band who didn't cook so he was in for a treat. We got Live Alaskan King Crab. It wasn't cheap! Cost about $25 per pound but they were 5 pounds minimum... but it was totally worth it. 

I had a feeling the whole thing would taste so much better - especially the lump crab part which often tastes salted and even sometimes a bit "off" in the frozen ones you get in restaurants (and it's often more expensive in a restaurant!). But live it was just perfect - steamed with just lemon and butter sauce after (which it didn't even need it was so sweet). For a crab lover this is an experience not to miss. Hard to find though.


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## justplainbill (May 17, 2011)

The average meat yield from the blue claw crabs we catch runs about 1.25 pounds per dozen.  Minimum size is 5"; males only.


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## infinitecookbook (May 17, 2011)

I wonder if ALL crabs are edible (I mean desirable and edible). Even the ones you see crossing the street? Land crab? I wonder. I've never seen anyone eating them.

I did try something called "River Crab" once when I was in Connecticut. It was at a sushi place and I ordered it out of sheer curiosity. Basically it's a small crab and they flash fry the whole thing (what a way to go?). There's some kind of coating added to it but not the full tempura batter thing you'd expect from a softshell crab (which I love btw). It's bizarre. It really is like eating the whole crab! But actually it tasted pretty good. Crunchy. Then again... you can deep fry a SHOE and it would probably taste pretty good (and crunchy). Have you ever tried NIKE? I hear they're delicious.


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## CraigC (May 17, 2011)

Between my parants and brothers (all RIP), I'm the only one not born in Maryland (native Floridian here). I remember live blues purchased by the dozen and bushel, but for some reason here in SE Florida, they are sold by the pound. Except for softshells which are sold individually.

I lucked out one day at an oriental market, they had live Dungeness. Man were they great steamed!

Craig


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## infinitecookbook (May 17, 2011)

Live Dungeness is fantastic. Which oriental market was that? I've had it at an Oriental Market in Vancouver and it's night and day better than previously frozen Dungeness which has a bitter taste to it - salty from the preserves. I wonder if the Rustic Inn cooks them live or not. I think maybe not because they only offer them as garlic Dungeness and of course that masks the taste. The beautiful natural taste of live crab is something to behold. A big fat Dungeness crab has a really good meat to work ratio.


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## CraigC (May 17, 2011)

infinitecookbook said:


> Live Dungeness is fantastic. Which oriental market was that? I've had it at an Oriental Market in Vancouver and it's night and day better than previously frozen Dungeness which has a bitter taste to it - salty from the preserves. I wonder if the Rustic Inn cooks them live or not. I think maybe not because they only offer them as garlic Dungeness and of course that masks the taste. The beautiful natural taste of live crab is something to behold. A big fat Dungeness crab has a really good meat to work ratio.


 
The place is in western Pines, but they stopped carrying the dungies. Hence, the reason why I only lucked out one day. I've had them in San Fran and Vancouver, BC freshly done. Your right about that funky taste of the frozen ones. I've had them done as chili crab, Thai style. Which weren't too bad.

Craig


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## infinitecookbook (May 17, 2011)

I used to think they were a cruel joke. So much meat but you had to accept the funky taste vs. blue crabs, snow crabs etc.  But then I had a hunch the live ones wouldn't have that funky taste and sure enough that was the case. Just a lot of meat and tasty too. Can't go wrong with that. I feel like i HAVE seen them live in tanks somewhere here in SoFla though. Maybe at an Asian restaurant or an oriental market. In Vancouver they had them for only $5.99 a pound live. Hard to beat that.


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