Old Bay steamed crabs

Old Bay steamed crab

Ingredients
water
vinegar
2 Dungeness crabs
1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning
 
Directions
In a pot with a raised rack (minimum of 2 inches high), add equal quantities of water and vinegar to just below level of rack. Bring to a boil.

Carefully lay crabs on rack sprinkle each with OLD BAY Before adding the next. Cover and steam 20 to 30 minutes depending on size of crabs or until crabs turn red.

Sounds like an interesting recipe.

Here is a twist to that.
Break the fresh live crab down to its legs and shoulders (the same way you would after cooking).  By pre disecting the crab before cooking, you are not forced to cook them before they die.  It is the brain matter and guts that will contaminate the meat once it dies and starts to decompose.   

I personally wouldn't steam crab over 12 minutes as it tends to make the meat tougher.  After dropping the crab(s) in the pot, I start my timer once the steam picks back up to full roll.

An alternative to vineger and water is just plain ol cheap beer.   

A better alternative is a good White Wine (1 Bottle), a sliced lemon, some bay leaves (4-5, crushed), garlic (2 cloves, minced), salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1 teaspoon), cayenne (1/2 teaspoon).  (For most peoples tastes..)

Personally I use lots of Garlic (Whole Garlic, minced), cayenne 1 (Teaspoon) and lemon slices (Three lemons), to the above measures.

I place my crabs on ice for a while before handling, and then while lethargic, turn them upside down and strike the center of the shell at the line, killing them instantly..  I then peel off the carapace and rinse out the guts/brains and remove the gills...

Return to ice while you complete all crabs...

Meanwhile get the liquid on high heat and the steamer in place... 

Mix some more white wine (1 cup), lemon juice (2 Tablespoons), salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (To taste) in a glass and whisk together, pour the liquid over the crabs parts, in a large bowl...  Mix to coat completely, and let sit, mixing and recoating every minute or so until the water is boiling.  (8-10 minutes)  Then place the crab parts in the steamer, and pour the liquid over them one last time...  Return to boil, cover and cook until they JUST TURN completely red....  (I have found that you sometimes have to move them about in the steam to evenly cook).

Serve with melted butter and garlic and healthy appetites, wash down with a fine Chardonnay.

Mmmmmm...

YotF

Serve

I second the vote for giving the spiders a quick death before cooking.  Cracking the shell open right down the middle by banging them against a sharp edge (boat dock works well) then washing the guts and such out.  I usually do this at the take out or the campground, before coming home.

For a not too fancy, but very tasty, alternative... when I'm just cooking for a couple people, I like to bring about 1/2 quart of water to a boil in a large pan, add a teaspoon of garlic (or more), teaspoon of sesame oil, and a table spoon of black bean sauce.  Then add the crab halves, and steam (stirring occasionally) until the shells are nice and red. 

Makes a very messy dish, but black bean crab is super tasty!

I second the vote for giving the spiders a quick death before cooking.  Cracking the shell open right down the middle by banging them against a sharp edge (boat dock works well) then washing the guts and such out.  I usually do this at the take out or the campground, before coming home.

For a not too fancy, but very tasty, alternative... when I'm just cooking for a couple people, I like to bring about 1/2 quart of water to a boil in a large pan, add a teaspoon of garlic (or more), teaspoon of sesame oil, and a table spoon of black bean sauce.  Then add the crab halves, and steam (stirring occasionally) until the shells are nice and red. 

Makes a very messy dish, but black bean crab is super tasty!

    Back out as Threeweiht does, then into a glass bowl with lid. Then the easy part,, into the microwave for 12-15 mims. no mess, smell, can cook faster than two people can eat!!!Royg

I add one thing and one thing only.  Fresh bay or ocean water collected away from the dock etc.  I cook them whole in a stainless beer keg. I don't like breaking them down because I love me some crab butter!!

Geez you guys----yer making me hungry!

Isn't there a rule that Old Bay is reserved for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs?  Man I love those things.  Or, gimme a nice fried softshell crab sandwich!

Damn, I'm getttin hungry too.  Thinkin about jumpin on a plane to Maryland for some of those lip smacking little devils.

Isn't there a rule that Old Bay is reserved for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs?  Man I love those things.  Or, gimme a nice fried softshell crab sandwich!

Having lived in Maryland for a couple years, I'm with you on the softshell crab sandwhich. I never did understand the fascination with eating blue crabs as I find them to be too much work.  I'll take a dungeness over about 6 blue crabs any day.

Brian

ok.. wheres the hushpuppies to go with all this seafood.. nummy.

Isn't there a rule that Old Bay is reserved for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs?  Man I love those things.  Or, gimme a nice fried softshell crab sandwich!

Having lived in Maryland for a couple years, I'm with you on the softshell crab sandwhich. I never did understand the fascination with eating blue crabs as I find them to be too much work.  I'll take a dungeness over about 6 blue crabs any day.

Brian

You gotta grow up with blues to really get it - yes, they are pokey stabby little bugs (and when they are coated in old bay, and stab your fingers, oh boy), but when you grow up eating them by the bushel, all of the work makes sense.  I almost feel like I am cheating when I am disassembling a dungeness - so much meat and so little pain.

Yeah, the old bay in the fingers was never a bonus for me.  I didn't grow up with either crab in Upstate New York and the blue crab was my first experience really picking crab.  When I got to the West Coast and discovered Dungeness I was in heaven - so much meat so little pain.

BTW, I don't buy into the whole blue crabs taste better thing either.  I think if you ship in a dungeness to Maryland to compare it to a fresh blue crab you'll be disappointed in the dungeness.  Likewise, if you ship a blue crab out to the Pacific Northwest you'll also be disappointed in the blue crab.  Maybe if someone in Iowa has them both shipped to them and does the comparison we can find out the truth.

Brian

ok.. wheres the hushpuppies to go with all this seafood.. nummy.

With the fried chicken and okra.  One state down in Virginia where its done up the best.  Even the mess halls got it right.

Pass the collard greens please...

That's it, now I'm going yak crabbing.

Being the old fart I am and on a low sodium prescribed diet(for a neurological brain/inner ear condition,hence the Dufus syndrome), I'm forced to keep it simple. First I turn the Dungeness over live on it's back, whack it with a thin/heavy wrench or pipe and kill it. Break it in half and most of the guts fall out. Clean it and simple throw into boiling water for 5
minutes when it turns reddish. Wallah.Done. Add some no salt melted butter
(sometimes I cheat and use salted and become McMurphy) maybe some type
of Mrs Dash and eat either hot or cold. A cold brewsky or white wine and that's all she wrote. I prefer Dungeness to even Lobster. Never had Blue
Eastern crab.