Add the crabs and simmer until they are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the crabs. And for thawed crab cakes, reduce the time to 5 minutes on either side. 2. With some force, insert a sturdy knife or screwdriver into the hole until you feel it touch the other side of the shell. If you choose to purchase precooked crab, you can eat it cold or heat it before serving. How to cook a crab. To get as much meat for your money as possible, assess live crabs carefully before buying. Crabs’ meat is a delicious and simple delicacy, which you can easily self-cook at home on your stove. Add the crabs to the water, then bring the heat down to a simmer and cook them for 20 minutes. It also creates a beautiful water texture to the meat. The white meat is pale and delicate compared to the dark meat which has a more intense flavour. Using tongs, remove the crab to a colander and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Instead, choose a weighty, lively crab and don’t forget to keep the claws firmly closed with the help of rubber bands! The white meat also works brilliantly in crab cakes – Shaun Rankin looks to Asia with his Crispy crab, sweetcorn and coriander fritters while Vineet Bhatia has created a South Indian crab cake with crab chutney. Table of Contents. Once your crabs are ready for cooking, decide if you'd like to steam them to keep their sweet flavor. Nobody likes the thought of killing something and many people, including chefs, do not like cooking live crabs. To Steam: Bring about an inch of salted water to boil in the bottom of a large pot. You can then cook the crab according to any method you'd like. Cook snow crab legs as mentioned above (wrapped in aluminum foil). One at a time, grasp crabs as described above … Avoid crabs that have a lot of water sloshing around inside them and those that feel a bit light for their size – the shell size of a crab doesn’t actually indicate how much meat it contains. 1. The cold air will numb the crabs and cause them to move around much slower. Round times down whenever necessary; raw/undercooked crabs can always be cooked further, while overcooked rubbery crab is … Try tapping a crab's shell. There will be a hole remaining at the head area where you have taken off the apron and you can pry off the whole top shell, called the carapace. You can also boil crab to cook it quickly. When the crabs have cooked through and have turned reddish, remove them from the pot with tongs and let them drain in a colander before serving. Learn it all here. Can I buy live crabs and keep them in refrigerator and then cook them the next day? Similar to baking, grilled crabs should be pre-cooked half way—about 5 minutes in boiling water or the steamer—cooled and cleaned before heading to the grill. Remove the crab from the water and leave to cool before preparing. This method is an excellent way to keep the crab meat juicy and succulent. Due to the nature of crab cakes, you can't grill them directly on the grill. Place your crabs in the freezer for several hours. This trick will keep them moist and buttery. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line the baking sheet with foil. Step 2: Steam for 5-7 Minutes. 1. Lay ¼ cup butter, cubed on top of crab legs. This makes it easier to handle the crabs when killing them and may even dull their pain. RSPCA UK. Rinse under cold running water. Below are the detailed instructions for them. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. How to Cook Crab. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. As they stay in the fridge for the night, they will go through a hibernation phase and still be alive the next day for cooking. Cooking a crab humanely. Place the steamer basket over 1 inch of water. https://www.justapinch.com/.../other-main-course/how-to-cook-crab.html Be careful with dripping hot water as you lift the crabs out of the pot. Check them at 20 minutes to make sure they aren’t getting dried out. To kill the crab, turn it over and lift up the small pointed flap – you will see a small hole. Place the crab back side up in the steamer rack. Immerse the crabs whole and again bring the water to the boil to cook the crabs for about 15-20 minutes depending on size. This is why you only need to warm them up a little before adding them to your stew and soup recipes. Remember that live crabs may pinch. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/56\/Cook-a-Crab-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Cook-a-Crab-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/56\/Cook-a-Crab-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid203750-v4-728px-Cook-a-Crab-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"