Lynne's Country Kitchen
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Recipes for cooking crab meat apply to most all species of edible crab, but either the type of crab or the part of the crab from which the meat is taken make a difference in color, taste, and texture.

Crabs must be both alive and lively when cooked. If mucky or slimy, they should be scrubbed.

Freshly cooked crab meat in partially aerated cans must be under constant refrigeration until used. It should have no ammonia-like odor. The completely sealed canned crab meats, Japanese and Korean, are all nonperishable until the cans are opened. In using canned meat, be sure to pick it over for small bits of shell and bone.

To prepare crab shells for restuffing, select large, perfect shells and scrub them well with a brush until clean. Place them in a large kettle and cover with hot water. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda. Cover the kettle closely. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Drain, wash, and dry. The shells are now ready for refilling.

BLUE CRABS - These denizens of the Atlantic furnish most of the fresh crab meat in the market. Lump or back-fin meat, taken from the body, is white in color and choice for looks. Flake meat, while less shapely, is also white. Claw meat is brownish, but very choice.

If take live, blue crabs fall into two classifications: hard-shell and soft-shell, which are prepared and eaten quite differently.

HARD-SHELL - Hard-shell crabs designate those caught between their periodic sheddings of carapace, or "lid," when the carapace has hardened.

SOFT-SHELL - Soft-shell crabs are those freshly molted whose carapace is still tender and flexible. Molting, incidentally, occurs often in a crab's career, but the carapace remains pliable only a few days. Since almost every part of a soft-shell crab is edible, it is usually broiled, breaded and sautéed, or deep-fat-fried.

  

DUNGENESS AND ROCK CRABS - Both packaged in one grade, combining body and claw meat. The rock crab flesh is brownish. Dungeness is native to the West Coast and is best in 2-1/2 to 3-pound size.

KING CRABS - Mostly from Alaskan waters, pinkish in tone, and consisting mainly of leg meat. This giant crab is also often called "Alaskan King crab," "Japanese crab," and "Russian crab" due to its size, which can reach up to 25 pounds and measuring up to 10 feet. It may be large, but only about one-fourth is edible, primarily the legs and claws. Only males are harvested. The delicately-flavored meat is snowy white with a bright red outer edge. Slit the underside of the leg shell with a cross-shaped cut before broiling.

STONE CRABS - From Florida, with pale flesh, and very delicate in texture and flavor. Stone crabs have become so rare that the authorities now insist that when one is caught only one claw can be removed, and the crab must be returned to its habitat, where, hopefully, it will see fit to grow another claw - as crabs are quite capable of doing.

Stone crab season opens October 16 and goes through May 14, with harvesting prohibited between May 15 and October 15. Although stone crabs are found along the coast from North Carolina to Mexico, they are commercially landed only in Florida, and only the claws are sold. Cooked stone crab claws freeze beautifully in the shell, making it possible to purchase cooked stone crab claws refrigerated or frozen. They are rarely available throughout the year, even frozen, as demand usually is greater than the supply.

OYSTER CRABS AND HERMIT CRABS - There are two edible types of miniature crabs. Oyster crabs are crispy 1/2-inch pinkish "boarders" found living right in the shell with live oysters; they may be eaten raw, sautéed, or deep-fried. When deep-fried, several dozen may be served with several dozen fried whitebait, as one portion. Tiny hermit crabs are found in vacated univalve shells and respond to deep-frying and sautéing. They should not be eaten raw.

To deep-fry either of these crabs or whitebait, (minnows), keep them on ice until the last minute. Wash and dry carefully and put into a bag to dust with flour, then in a sieve to bounce off as much flour as possible. Place a few at a time in a frying basket in deep fat heated to 390 degrees and cook only 2 to 3 seconds until crisp.

HERE ARE SOME TERMS YOU SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH

BACK FIN OR BACKFIN - Meat from the breast of the blue crab.

BALLIE - A female blue crab carrying eggs, also known as "bally" or "lemon-belly."

BUCK - A blue crab whose new shell has begun to harden too much, also known as "buckram," "papershell," and "buckler."

BUSTER - A blue crab in the process of shedding its shell, also known as "peeler."

COMER - A blue crab getting fat and ready to shed its shell.

CRAB BOIL - A packaged mixture of herbs and spices added to water in which crab is cooked. The blend usually includes mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, whole allspice, whole cloves, dried ginger pieces and red chiles.

CRAB BUTTER - This is the white-yellow fat inside the back of the shell of a large crab. It is considered a delicacy and is often added to dressings and sauces served with crab.

CRAB CAKE - A mixture of crab, spices and binders flattened into patties and fried, originating in Maryland.

CRAB IMPERIAL - An American favorite, this is a mixture of crabmeat covered with a white sauce, spooned into blue-crab shells, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and/or bread crumbs and baked until golden brown.

CRAB LOUIE OR LOUIS - A crabmeat salad made with hard-boiled eggs and lettuce topped with a dressing, whose origin is credited to numerous sources.

JIMMY - A male blue crab.

FLAKE - Small pieces of light and dark meat from the body and claws of the crab.

LUMP - Whole pieces of white meat from the body of the crab.

RANKPEELER - A blue crab one to three days before it sheds its shell, particularly prized by chefs.

ROE - The eggs of the crab, a delicacy required in some soups.

SHE-CRAB - A female crab.

SOFT-SHELL - A blue crab that has shed its shell, before it has grown a new shell. The crab periodically sheds its shell to grow a larger one. Soft-shell crabs are in their prime from April to September. They are normally cooked whole and have no waste.

SPONGE - A female blue crab carrying eggs. Also called "punk" and "sook."