TIPS FOR CLEANING CRABS
Firstly, let me warn you that this is a stinky affair! But even for the little pieces of crab meat we finally get to devour, the whole process is totally worth the effort.
I recently bought small crabs to make Singaporean Chili Crabs at home. This was for a food trial for my second Quarantine Cookbook, which put me under more pressure to get it right the first time round. Having never cleaned or cooked crabs before, I ended up watching tons of videos, and read several articles to get it right. Of course, my folks and grandmother whom I live with are experts, but I suggest that it's always better to do your homework thoroughly before cooking something new.
Here are those things I believe to be tips and notes to keep in mind when cleaning crabs.
Buying Crabs: Make sure the crabs you buy are fresh. We bought Mud Crabs and the 3 Spotted Crab (also called the Bloodspot Swimming Crab), these are small sized weighing 200 - 300 gms each. Ask your vendor which crabs are fresh for the day and buy those.
Recipe Ready: Keep a recipe ready in mind when buying crabs. Some vendors de-shell and send you the crabs, so if you want crabs with the shell, you should specify.
Crab Shell: The shell has a lot of flavour, so it can be used to make seafood stock as well. De-shelling the crab yourself is easy. Stick your thumb at the back of the crab with your whole palm covering the crab shell (the crab shell facing up) and pull the shell up from the back with a little force.
Crab Butter: So you will some yellow gooey substance, that's the crab butter (or liver), it's also a place where toxins accumulate. A lot of people consider this to be a delicacy and cook it, however I was washed it off, considering I didn't know the source of the crabs, and also because I am extremely careful when consuming seafood in New Delhi.
Crab Gills: Remove the gills. They run along the right and left body of the crab, they are white and soft, and come off quite easily.
Scrub the Crab: Now wash the crab at least 3 times under running water. Keep a plate below so that any extra crab meat that falls while washing it, falls onto the plate instead. Use a new scrubber to rinse off dirt from the shell and claws. Use baking soda instead of soap to clean.
First Marinade: After rinsing each crab and shell thoroughly, you can cut the body right in the middle (it's easier to scoop out the meat) and then drizzle lemon juice or white vinegar all over. This will kill any smell and help keeping the crab fresh.
After drizzling vinegar, I soaked the crabs on a bed of ice, for 30 mins, till my ingredients to make them were made ready.
Manicure & Pedicure: Cut off claws, but not the broader parts of the legs. The broader parts have meat, which you can use a marrow to scoop out.
I hammered the hard shelled parts of the claws and legs so that the marinade seeps in easily and it's easier to break open and eat once cooked. Video Below!
*Credits: Becky Selengut, for detailed video on crab cleaning. Sam Hinton, for the Bloodspotted Crab Illustration.
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