how to cook an edible crab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Cancer pagurus, commonly known as the edible crab or brown crab, is a species of crab found in the North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and perhaps in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a robust crab of a reddish-brown colour, having an oval carapace with a characteristic "pie crust" edge and black tips to the claws. A mature adult may have a carapace width of up to 25 cm (10 in) and weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). " from Wikypedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_pagurus).

 

It ' a grab which is frequently found on the shelves of supermarkets and fish markets in Doha .

 

Let us try , then , to cook it ! I got one of 1,032 kg

 

Basic point is to wash it thoroughly with a brush under running water (pic 1). Brush it well, under the claws and over all the carapace, especially on the belly . Keep it aside and meanwhile prepare the court bouillon in a pot (pic 2 and 3),pretty large to hold comfortably the crab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usually the court bouillon, to be perfect, should be prepared a little in advance, in fact it needs at least an hour of cooking , but sometimes if I need the shellfish for a risotto or a pasta, I shorten the time by dipping it in the broth after ten minutes from the first boil.

 

To cook shellfish the court bouillon must be already  hot, it must boil. Thus, as soon as the broth boils, dip the crab (pic 4 and 5), bring it back to boiling, then reduce the heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes ( for a crab of 1 kg )(pic 6).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once cooked, remove it from broth and let it cool down (pic 7).

Strain the broth and set aside (pic 8) , you'll need it for a risotto or a good sauce. You can also freeze it.

Back to our crab, now cooled enough to be fleeced. First tear the claws with a twist of the hand, then the legs(pic 9) . Break the claws with a shellfish tongs or with a nutcrackerand extract the pulp. Careful not to get hurt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To open the carapace (pic 10), insert a finger of the right hand ( left if you are left handed ) on the back at the height of the tail and pull the shell detaching it from the rest of the body(pic 11) . At this point with a teaspoon,  empty the crab of its pulp and set it aside to proceed with your planned recipe (pic 12).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take all the pulp , even the soft dark part, leaving only the gills .