Quick and Delicious Blue Crab Recipe You Must Try
Seafood is tasty, no doubt about it. But have you ever taste steamed blue crab? If you haven’t yet, you should try the dish at least once. The steamed blue crab is a delicious seafood dish. Not only that, it only takes about 30 minutes to make this blue crab recipe, too. There is no reason not to try it.
Blue crab’s meat has a briny and sweet flavor. Add Old Bay seasoning and you will get a very delicious dish. Don’t know how to steam blue crab? No need to worry. We got your back covered. Below, we tell you how to make delicious blue crab yourself.
FAQs
- What is a blue crab?
Since this blue crab recipe involves, well, blue crabs, so why not we get to know about them first. What is it? Blue crabs, also known as Maryland crabs, are crustaceans native to western Atlantic Ocean waters.
As their name suggests, the crabs have a blue shell that turns into bright orange once cooked. Of all blue crabs, crabs from Maryland coastal region are known to have the best flavor. In terms of size, blue crabs are just slightly larger than an adult’s hand.
As they are relatively smaller than their lankier crustacean cousins, eating blue crabs do take patience and skill. The reward is nice, though. Properly cooked, you will get the most flavorful and tender meat you can get. Wonderful, isn’t it?
The meat of blue crab has a briny, sweet flavor. And yes, it tastes delicious. Combine the already delicious meat with Old Bay Seasoning and you will get one of the tastiest seafood dishes you can get. Our blue crab recipe here will help you make just that.
- How to keep the crabs alive?
Our blue crab recipe here requires live crabs. To keep your crabs alive in your cooler until cooking time, you need to minimize their stress. Leave them alone as much as possible. Don’t mess with the crabs unless it is necessary. Don’t toss them around, either.
- How to check if the crab is done?
It is easy to know if the crab is done. Just notice the shell color. When the crab is done, the blue shell will change from blue to bright orange. There are no more blue or green tint on the crab’s shell, claws, and legs.
- There is some yellow stuff in the crab. Can I eat it?
Yes, of course. That yellow stuff is known as mustard. Some people call it tomalley. The mustard is actually a part of the crab’s digestive system. It is known as hepatopancreas.
Not only this “yellow stuff” is edible, but it is also tasty, too. No wonder many people like the mustard of a crab. If you cook a blue female crab, you might also find an orange mass of eggs or roe inside its shell. Like the mustard, this orange roe is also edible and tasty.
- How many calories does the dish have per serving?
Per serving, steamed blue crab contains 183 calories.
- What other dishes to serve with the steamed blue crab recipe?
The steamed blue crab is a seafood dish, so it is a good idea to serve it with other seafood dishes or side dishes. For example, shrimp boil and lobster rolls. Parmesan sweet potato fries and honey butter corn are nice side dishes for it, too.
How to Pick the Crab Properly
1. Remove the crab’s claws
The first thing to do is to remove the claws. Start with the large claws at the front. To remove these claws, just pull them away from the belly and towards the crab’s top shell. The claws should be easy to remove. Put the claws aside for now.
2. Peel the “apron”
Flip the crab over. See that triangular part at the center? That is called an “apron.” The next thing to do is to peel this “apron.” Just peel it with your fingers and discard.
3. Expose the inside
Now it is time to get inside the crab. Use your fingers to pry off the top of the crab shell. Once the inside is exposed, remove the innards (gills, lungs, mustard, etc.) of the crab. If this is your first time, don’t worry. It is not as hard as it looks. The shell can be pried off easily.
4. Crack in half
After you clean the inside of the crab, crack the body in half. Bend the body inward. You should feel the body snap. Now it is time to pick the delicious meat inside. You can remove the remaining legs. Do it gently as you might find large chunks of delicious crab meat.
5. For the claws
This is for the large claws you put aside earlier. Use a blunt object (like a small wooden mallet, for example) and break the claw shell gently. Peel the shell off and you will find meat inside. Enjoy!
Blue Crab Recipe
Course: Main course
Cuisine: Steamed blue crab with Old Bay Seasoning
Keyword: Blue crab recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 183
Ingredients
- Lemon wedges
- Water
- Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
- 4 blue crabs, about 2 lbs.
Instructions
- First, run cold water through the blue crab. Rinse the crab thoroughly. If the surface is dirty, brush the body with a small brush and rinse it well before proceeding.
- You need to kill the crab before you steam it. To kill it, take a chef’s knife or a chopstick and stick it at the back of the crab in its middle.
- Prepare a pot with at least a 2-inch high raised rack, add the same amount of vinegar and water, just slightly below the rack’s level. Bring the vinegar and water mixture to a boil.
- Layer the crabs on the rack. Do this carefully.
- After the crabs are layered, take Old Bay Seasoning and sprinkle it on each layer.
- Cover the crabs and steam for about 20 to 30 minutes. How long you should steam the crabs depends on their size. Steam until the crabs’ shell becomes orange in color.
- Once they become orange, remove them from the steamer.
- Serve the steamed crabs with lemon wedges and melted butter immediately.