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Whole Crab Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to whole crab
About whole crab
Crab is one of the most popular kinds of seafood, and it's enjoyed all around the world. There are over 4,400 different types of crab, but the most popular edible varieties are limited to just a few.
Types of whole crab include:
- Blue crab: Blue crab is a beautiful blue-green color. It is usually found on the east coast of the United States and ranges in size from 3 1/2 inches on the small side and up over 5 inches for larger ones. The blue color makes this crab stand out from other species when raw, but once cooked, they turn the familiar red color. Â
- Dungeness crab:Â Dungeness crab is found in the ocean waters all the way from Baja, Mexico, and up to Alaska. These range from just under 2 pounds to up to 4 pounds, and they have a brown or purple color when raw. Dungeness crabs get their name from a former town called Dungeness. This is where they first started harvesting the crabs for commercial use. Only the males can be harvested, and they need to be at least 6 1/4 inches long.
- Alaskan king crab:Â The Alaskan king crab is a giant crab that can grow to weigh 25 pounds and measure up to 10 feet long. Only about a quarter of the crab is edible, mainly the legs and claws, and only the males are harvested. The meat has a delicate flavor and a snowy white color.
- Rock or Snow crab: Rock crab is also found along the eastern coast of the U.S. It has spindly legs that make it look like a spider.
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Whole crab cooking tips
There are several ways to cook whole crab.
- Boiling. To boil whole crab, you'll need a large pot, sea salt, and seafood seasoning. Bring the water to a boil before adding a can of beer and your favorite seafood seasoning. Submerge the whole crab and bring the water back to a boil—Cook for 17 to 20 minutes.
- Steaming. Steaming is sometimes better than boiling because the water doesn't saturate the crab. Bring water to a boil in a steamer pot. Add salt, seasoning, and beer. Place the whole crabs in the steamer basket and cook for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the steamer and cool in an ice bath.
- Grilling. Whole crab is delicious on the grill. You want to start by parboiling or steaming for about five minutes. The crab cool and then brush with olive oil; place on a pre-heated grill and cook for about four minutes per side.
- Baking. Just as with grilling, you want to parboil the whole crabs before baking them. After you've parboiled and let them cool, brush with some herb-infused butter, and lay the crabs in a roasting pan—Cook in a 450-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until brown and sizzling.
Whole Crab Near Me
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FAQs about whole crab
Cooking a whole crab is just the beginning. Getting to the tender meat is part of the fun. You want to start by breaking them in half to remove the meat from the body. Do this gently, so you don't get any shell in the meat. If done correctly, you should be able to remove a solid piece of tender crab right out of the shell. Most commercial whole crab is soft-shell, so it should break easily.
After cracking the crab in half, you can then pull the legs away from the body by twisting and pulling. Separate the legs at the knuckles, and crack the pincers with your hand or with a nutcracker. You can then use a seafood fork to remove the meat from the claws. Some crabs have more meat in their bodies than others. Blue crabs don't have much, but their claws are loaded with sweet, delicious meat.
No matter which type of crab you want, it is available whole. You can usually find whole crabs live or cooked. If your store has live crab, these are always a better choice, just make sure they are alert. They will demonstrate this by brandishing their pincers if you poke them.
Soft-shell crabs should be completely soft and have a translucent look, and live whole crabs should have a fresh saltwater aroma and not smell fishy. When you buy live crab, they should be cooked and eaten the same day. If you get whole cooked crab, you can reheat it by steaming in an inch of water. Place on a steaming rack and cook for about five minutes.
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