20 Crab Recipes to Add to Your Repertoire (2024)

FAQs

What part of crab is not edible? ›

Remove the “Devil” This stringy, bitter tasking, substance is actually the crab's lungs. It is a myth that eating the “devil” will make you sick; it is just that the lungs have an unpleasant taste. Just use your fingers to pinch it, or scrape with a knife to discard.

Glycine, an amino acid found in blue crab meat gives off a sweetness when cooked, especially when the meat is caramelized or “golden-browned.” Not only does the amino acid embellish the taste, but it can also improve one's sleep, reduce the risk of diabetes, and maintain strong muscles.

To set the record straight, crab gills are not inherently toxic, provided you cook and boil the crab properly. The gills do tend to contain higher levels of heavy metals, which makes avoiding them a sound decision.

Just like most other foods, eating too much crab can have some negative side effects. Some of the nutrients found in crab—such as copper and zinc—can be harmful if you consume excessive amounts. But side effects rarely occur, and unless you have a seafood allergy, crab is a very healthy food to eat in moderation.

Don't be shy about adding salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon rinds, or the classic Old Bay seasoning to your pot before boiling or steaming your crab legs. In fact, if you plan to boil, we'd recommend the proportion of 4 quarts of water to 6 ounces of seasoning.

vegetal and green notes. Cooked crab's vegetal aroma is most dominant and best described as being similar to that of cooked potatoes, which makes it a complementary pairing for potatoes (of course), but also eggplant, asparagus, cabbage, chicken, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and even kimchi.

Crab also contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and selenium. These nutrients play vital roles in improving general health while helping prevent a variety of chronic conditions. It can help: Improve heart health.

Which Blue Crab tastes better: female or male? Many believe that the female crab's meat boasts denser, sweeter flavor, but agree that the amount of meat differs. Point-to-point comparison weighs the male crab at heavier, but flakier meat.

Unless your seafood is literally catch of the day, chances are it will taste and smell a bit fishy, thanks to a compound found in nearly all seafood called trimethylamine oxide, or TMAO.

How do you crack crab? ›

Take both thumbs and push down on the middle of the merus, but don't crack it through all the way. You want to just lightly crack each side so you can then gently peel back the shell. If you push your thumbs in too hard, you'll puncture the meat.

Crab meat should smell a bit sweet; if it has a strong, fishy, sour odor––it's time to toss it. The shelf-life in a fridge is 3 to 5 days and in the freezer is 6 to 9 months. Whole cooked crab that is frozen can last from 9 to 12 months.

The claws are edible and generally have the most meat. In most crabs, the body has plentiful meat and the liver is prized by some people. In their soft shell state, pretty much the entire body is edible other than the gills and the eyes.

Despite being an incredibly large crab, only about one-fourth of the crab meat inside is edible (mainly its legs and claws). You've probably seen King Crab legs highlighted on the menus of seafood restaurants because they are a highly popular seafood dish.

You can eat the meat you pull out of the crab as you go, or you can save all the meat and feast after all your crabs have been dispatched. If you want to do the latter, I recommend having two bowls on hand: one for the shells and one for the meat.