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How to Cook Live Crab
While you can buy shelled cooked crab at many seafood shops, it may cost you a pretty penny. In order to save some money or maybe prove to yourself that you can cook your own crab, you may find yourself contemplating buying a live crab or two. The types of crabs available will vary from region to region. You can also order many types of crabs live online and they will be delivered overnight to your door.
If you get to choose the crabs locally, pick specimens that are lively and active. Have the attendant poke at the crabs you are interested in to see their reaction. Fresh crabs will wave their claws or scuttle about the tank. Keep your live crabs cold in a cooler on ice on the way home. Cover them loosely when you get home and keep them in the refrigerator. Cook them the same day if possible, but do not wait more than 12 hours.
If you are nervous about putting the crabs into boiling water, shortly before cooking, place your crustaceans in the freezer. The cold makes them sleepy. Meanwhile, fill your kettle with water and cover it. Bring the water to a boil. Put in any seasonings that you want to include.
Grasp the crabs from the back and plunge them into the boiling water. Remove some water if needed so it does not overflow. Cover the pan again and start timing. When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat so the water simmers. It takes about 15 minutes to cook 1-½ to 2-½ pound crabs and about 20 minutes to cook 3 pound crabs. The shells will turn bright red during the cooking process.
When the crabs are done, remove them from the water and let them drain. You can rinse them quickly in cool water to make them easier to handle.
Now it is time to clean your crab. Remove the triangular flap on their belly. Flip the crab upright again and lift off the top shell from the back. Drain any liquid that is inside the body. If you see a reddish membrane over the center, pull it off and discard. Sometimes it comes off with the top shell and sometimes it does not. Remove any loose pieces. The yellow "crab butter" and white crab fat can be rinsed away or removed and saved to eat later; some people consider it a delicacy. Pull out the long, spongy gills that extend from the sides and discard. Rinse the body thoroughly with cool water.
Remove the legs and claws from the main body. Crack the shells on the legs with a mallet or nutcracker and remove the meat. Use a chef's knife to cut the body into quarters.
Pull the body sections apart to get at the meat. It will be in small pockets throughout the shell. Pick out all the shell fragments you can and discard them. A 2 pound crab will give you about 8 ounces of meat, more or less. Heavier crabs may or may not have more meat in them.
Dig in and eat the meat with clarified butter or cocktail sauce or add the meat to your favorite recipe.
