Anatomy of a Crab Bake.. er.. Boil
How to make crab. Crabs are my second favorite food evar (after lobster and just a smidgeon before steak). So -- how to make them? Well, I like steaming them, but that necessitate a steamer.. something I don't have. The next best thing is to boil them. Try to pick crabs when the tides are low (you get more of that good 'heaviness' and gunk inside. Ok. On with the show.
Ingredients:
- Crabs, pot, water, tongs
- For the sauce, I like some sweet vinegar, soy sauce and ginger. You can also use lemon juice mixed with salt and a dash of pepper.
1. Run the suckers through cold water. This way, they get all the dirt and other nasties out that you don't want in your system.
2. Place them in a big pot and cover with water. They'll splash for a bit but it's ok.
3. Boil the water. (Actually you should switch step two to make it a little more humane.. that is, boil the water first then dump the crabs in.)
4. Wait for twenty minutes (max.). Mmmm. Succulent crabs. Sweet lord. Oh yeaaah.
5. Check to make sure the critters are bright red. If they're moving around and trying to get out -- uh.. they're not ready.
6. Serve and dig in!
[Tangent] I think you should really know what you eat. Or at least realize that hey – it's a living thing that you're affecting.. that way, you don't waste food and really are in tune with your connection to your food. Anyways – that's my metaphysical spiel.. but that's a difference between the West and the developing world: our food is totally sanitized and packaged and delivered to us so easily! Sometimes I think this efficiency causes us to lose touch with reality.. but I digress.
Look out for the next installment when I go through how to pick out the meat – I think that's the biggest obstacle to most people's enjoyment of crustaceans. Mmmm. tasty. Oh, and to get the smell out of my hands, I rub my fingers and palms vigorously with a wedge of lemon and follow that up with soap.
you know, you can be more humane to them too, know the little flap crabs have like under their belly? if u open it and slice through with a knife they die too. Sad to see them boiled. Also, add a bottle of beer to your water and they come out delicious!
Posted by: vinny | June 22, 2007 at 12:39 PM
that's what i said... but those critters are just more aggressive than lobsters... we coulda chilled them to mellow them out, but josh was hungry...
Posted by: kdawg | June 22, 2007 at 07:30 PM
hahaha, i am actually more afraid of lobsters, crabs you just gotta hold their claws closed and then stab them in that flap. next time i visit nyc we are cooking some seafood in addition to the pho.
Posted by: vinny | June 23, 2007 at 02:52 PM
i heard that the whole point of eating lobsters is that they're boiled alive. it makes their meat taste more tender. if you kill them first - then they're not as fresh. because you're now eating dead meat that was cooked. as opposed to cooked live meat (that died shortly thereafter).
Posted by: ink | June 24, 2007 at 07:58 AM
I think that's an urban myth.. should be a real difference between a quick death and cooking them versus plunking them alive in boiling water.. maybe 30 seconds difference. anyways - they taste good to me!
Posted by: j.fisher | June 24, 2007 at 08:12 AM