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Crab Salad Glossary of Cooking Terms
Apron - When a crab is on its back with its belly facing up, you will see a portion of the shell that is wide towards the back end of the crab and narrows as it points up through the center of the belly. This is the apron. Male crabs have a thin apron, while females have a wider, triangular apron.
Arthropod - Invertebrate animals that have exoskeletons (skeleton on the outside of their body, segmented bodies, and appendages with joints. Examples are insects, arachnids, and crustaceans.
Backfin - Meat from the body of the crab; usually flaked and in smaller pieces than lump meat.
Bisque - A classic French soup known for being thick, creamy, and smooth. It is often used with seafood like crab, lobster, and shrimp.
Blue Crab - The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a small crab that lives in the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Coast of Central America. It is the official State Crustacean of Maryland and is used for fresh eating, crab cakes and fried soft-shell crab.
Boiling - Water is heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit to reach the boiling point. This is the temperature when the vapor pressure of the water is the same as the pressure put on the liquid by the surrounding environment. Boiling is a common way of cooking many types of food.
Broiling - Broiling is a cooking method where a heat source at a high temperature is directed at the food from above. It is actually cooking the food through thermal radiation and takes place in an oven.
Carapace - The carapace is the top half of the exoskeleton of many animal groups, including crustaceans and arachnids. In crabs, the carapace is the top portion of the shell. It is formed in a single piece.
Clarified Butter - Butter that has been melted and then strained to remove the milk solids is clarified butter. It is a clear, golden color when melted and it hardens to a solid yellow at room temperature. It has a higher smoke point than normal butter when you use it for cooking and has a longer shelf life.
Claw - The meat found in a crab's claws are stronger flavored and have a characteristic pink coloring.
Cleaning - Cleaning a crab refers to removing the shell and picking out the meat.
Crab - Crabs are a type of crustacean noted for their rounded or oblong body with ten appendages. They have a shell on the outside and have two claws that can pinch and grab. They walk sideways. Many species are harvested for food, including the snow crab, the King crab, the Dungeness crab, and the blue crab.
Crab Butter - The yellowish white fat located on the inside of the shell of a crab. Some people consider it a delicacy and eat it plain or mixed into sauces or dressings.
Crab Cake - A patty made with crabmeat, bread or cracker crumbs, egg, and seasonings. It may be baked, fried, or broiled. Crab cakes are very popular in Maryland.
Crab Season - The time of year when crabs are harvested. Alaskan King crab, for example, is harvested during the winter.
Crabbing Gloves - Thick, durable gloves used by crab fishermen and anyone who handles live crabs on a frequent basis to protect their hands.
Crustacean - This is an animal classification that includes crabs, crayfish, lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, and krill. They have an exoskeleton and come in a wide variety of sizes from 0.1 mm to 14 feet across.
Dungeness Crab - Formerly classified as Cancer magister, the Dungeness crab is now classified as Metacarcinus magister. It grows on the west coast of North America and can grow to have a 9-inch body. They are an important commercial crop in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and northern California. They are named after the town of Dungeness, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
King Crab - Also known as stone crab, the King crab lives in cold northern oceans. There are several species fished in Alaska, including the Red, the Blue, and the Golden. This is the type of crab fished on the television series "Deadliest Catch." King crabs are known for their large size and sweet meat.
Lump Meat - Crab meat from the body that is smaller than jumbo lump but larger than shreds and flakes. This size is perfect for crab cakes.
Old Bay Seasoning - A commercial seasoning blend often used with seafood. It includes dried mustard, paprika, bay leaf, celery seed, black pepper, red pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, and ginger. It can also be used on chicken, eggs, popcorn, salads, corn on the cob and potatoes.
Shrimp Fork - A very small fork used for extracting meat from crabs and lobsters.
Snow Crab - A smaller crab fished in northern waters. Also known as the opilio crab, it is also featured on the "Deadliest Catch" television show as the secondary crop of crabs that are fished off the coast of Alaska. Snow crabs are less expensive than King crabs and are often served as a budget crab.
Steaming - This is a healthy cooking technique that heats food through the application of hot steam. The food keeps its nutrients because it never comes in contact with the boiling water. Steamed food is moist and tender.
