Cooked Alive – Preparing Live Mud Crabs
September 7th 2008 11:59
If a live mudcrab is dropped straight into boiling water it may throw off all of it’s limbs, including it’s claws. It is better, and more humane, to render it dormant by placing it in the freezer for half an hour.
Boil a large pot of salted water and when the crab is dormant drop it in. It will begin to turn red immediately. A 1 kilogram crab takes about 10 minutes, so it is roughly a minute per 100 grams.
When it is cooked remove the crab from the water and refresh it under cold water to prevent further cooking.
To clean a mud crab, or any other crab, turn it upside down to reveal the tail. Pull the tail away from the body and snap it off where it joins the upper shell (carapace).
Lift the carapace from the back towards the front and pull it away. It is advisable to do it over a strainer to catch the debris for disposal. Remove anything adhering to the carapace and rinse the shell for later use.
Remove the filters along each side and discard them.
Break off the mouth parts from the front of the body and discard them. Rinse the innards from the middle of the body.
Break the crab in half down the middle using both hands, or cut through with a heavy knife. Strike the claws briskly with the back of the knife blade to crack them. Crack the other segments of the forelimbs the same way.
Reassemble the parts of the crab on a large plate and replace the carapace for visual effect. Serve accompanied by salad and cocktail sauce and garnished with lemon.
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Hmmm, maybe I'll get myself a few crabs this weekend...