Rockefeller 3-19

[ripinlips]

Originally Posted by cajun bill

If you put the crabs in the water before the water gets hot, they will not eject their claws and legs like they do when you throw cold crabs in boiling water. While they will still lose some, almost all claws and legs will stay on the shell making it easier to get at the meat when you peel them.

Of course, this only works on the first batch because after that, the water is hot. I read about this years ago and it is a trick restaurants use to make their crabs more attractive to the consumer. Don't know about taking the shell off along with the "gills". Never saw that done and like you said, you lose the fat.

While I am not too set back by the following statement(found on a couple websites), it is a good reason I can live without the "fat" (hepatopancreas). But to each his own...I am just sharing info. If I attend a boil and its on there, you betta believe I am going to eat that sha

FYI: Research shows that chemical contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, mercury, and poison-inhalation hazards (PIHs) can accumulate in the crab’s fatty tissues and concentrate in the hepatopancreas.

I have always been told that if you place them in live and kicking their natural defense will be to eject legs/claws, but having them iced down before mostly prevents this. Thanks for the info about putting in before the water is boiling, but like you said after the first batch that will not work.

[Juciy]

Originally Posted by Lil Silver

This is the ONLY way we boil em. Pull the backs off, the little filter thingys and give eack one a quick rinse with the water nozzle. Soak up all the seasoning good. When they come out of the pot, layer them in a ice chest, sprinkle a lil more seasoning and each crab gets a squirt of the "squirtable" butter. This butter melts down into the meat and ready to eat.

I need friends like this, half of the work is done...lol

On the seasoning side, I have found the crabs are better with less seasoning. Blue crabs have such a delicate taste, the seasoning over powers the natural flavor. As an experiment, try half as much seasoning with little soak time and see how that compares.


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[rardoin]

I boil 'em whole but I lay them 'on their back' as soon as I dump the basket. The juices flow into the shell which acts as a reservoir. when I peel the shell off I back the back down so I preserve the juice....then drink it. If you never have done this you are missing one of the best parts of a crab boil. I have collected about a quart of juice and used it as a stock for a seafood bisque....the best stock I have ever tasted. Pulling the shell off before boiling is sacrilegous to me.

[redchaserron]

SOmething I love to do is ice them down and pull off the back shell/clean them, the I toss them in water that's seasoned with crab boil and let them soak up some seasoning, then grill over a wood fire. Talk about good with that smokey taste. To soak them in the seasoned water I mix it up in an ice chest and add a bunch of ice so the water and crabs stay cold.

[ripinlips]

Originally Posted by redchaserron

SOmething I love to do is ice them down and pull off the back shell/clean them, the I toss them in water that's seasoned with crab boil and let them soak up some seasoning, then grill over a wood fire. Talk about good with that smokey taste. To soak them in the seasoned water I mix it up in an ice chest and add a bunch of ice so the water and crabs stay cold.

Thanks for the tip, this sounds amazing. I am definitely going to try this!

[rardoin]

Originally Posted by redchaserron

SOmething I love to do is ice them down and pull off the back shell/clean them, the I toss them in water that's seasoned with crab boil and let them soak up some seasoning, then grill over a wood fire. Talk about good with that smokey taste. To soak them in the seasoned water I mix it up in an ice chest and add a bunch of ice so the water and crabs stay cold.

That sounds really good!