For full information and pictures on the various California crabs go to my article on kenjonesfishing.com —
http://kenjonesfishing.com/2012/01/california-crabs-—/
Posted by Ken Jones
From Pier Fishing In California, 2nd Ed. — Cleaning and Cooking Crabs
During the ‘70s I lived in the East Bay community of Pinole. One of the highlights each year was a "crab feed" put on by the local Lions Club. For just a few bucks a person got some green salad, crusty sourdough French bread, a little bowl of Thousand Island dressing, and all the Dungeness crabs you could clean and eat. Everybody put on their bibs, grabbed the pliers and small forks, and dove (figuratively) into the melee. Between the crabs and some cheap red vino (I know, I know — it's supposed to be white with seafood), it was quite a little neighborhood gathering. Such popular "crab nights" were a fixture in many communities during those days, but that was twenty-five years ago. Today I still occasionally see such crab feeds advertised in the papers but there seem to be less and less each year. And the cost now is upwards of $30 (or more) per person.
Surprisingly, even though I've fished from piers for nearly forty years, I've never really gotten into "crabbing." I like to eat them, I just don't care to spend my time catching them. Nevertheless, crabbing is one of the main past times of "Pier Rats" in central and northern California. Given that fact, it might be useful to know how to properly clean and prepare the delicious crustaceans.
The directions below come from an excellent little pamphlet put out by the Washington State Department of Fisheries. It's titled Coastal Washington Jetty and Surf Fishing and was/is available free from the Office of Information and Education, 115 General Administration Building, Olympia, Washington 98504.
"The usual method to cook crab is to drop the live crabs into boiling salted water. Put them in upside-down; the crab will fold its legs against its shell. Be sure the water is at full rolling boil, so the crab dies instantly. The salted, rapidly boiling water will firm the meat and improve the flavor. Use 1/4 cup salt to each quart of water. Cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool quickly in cold water. When cool, lift the top shell from the rear and pull off. Discard the shell and the yellow fat, which clings to it. Discard the brown colored gills on both sides under the back shell. Turn the crab on its back and break off the mouth parts and the tail piece (apron), turn over and scrape out the center fat and entrails, and flush the cavity under cold running water.
Crab meat can be “cracked” and then eaten directly from the shell, with a sauce, or in a more elaborate recipe. The body meat may be shaken out of the crab by breaking the crab in half, crushing the shell, and knocking it against the edge of a bowl. Use a small pick, claw, or fork to remove bits of meat from the shell, but avoid crushing the meat. Pliers may be used, if gently handled, to crush the leg shell. Break away the shell and extract the meat."
2018 Update — Today just go to the Washington Fishing & Shellfishing Page for additional information — https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/clean_prepare.html
Another section from the book — New friends, conversation and interesting stories are bonuses when I visit California's piers. One such story was provided by an angler sharing the rail at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon, up in San Francisco Bay. He had grown up in Santa Monica and related how, as a teenager, he would go out at night to the Santa Monica Pier to go fishing. According to him, there were a number of Chinese fishermen who made a regular habit of snagging crabs with large treble hooks. Not much of a story there except that they evidently kept a fire going under a large pot filled with seawater. As they caught a crab it went into the pot and an ongoing communal sort of crab feast was the result. He said he would sneak a bottle of wine from his parent's larder and he and the Chinamen (his words) would fish and feast (a.k.a. party) most of the night. This was supposed to have occurred back in the ‘60s. Today you would probably need to bring some crusty sourdough bread, the proper cheese, and a good Cabernet if you wanted to do it right (although a proletarian Zinfandel seems more appropriate for a pier)!
As seen, to enjoy fresh Dungeness or rock crabs requires nothing more than the cooked crab itself and perhaps a little salad, bread, and dressing along with, if so inclined, a little wine. The taste of the crab meat itself is delicious. However, there are many, many recipes and ways to enjoy the crab.
From Pier Fishing In California, 2nd Ed. — Everyone in our house loves crab cakes and whenever we travel to an area known for its crabs — Maryland, Virginia, Mississippi, New Orleans — and of course the San Francisco Bay Area, we like to sample he local variety. The following is a somewhat generic recipe and will work equally well with almost any type of crab.
Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. flaked crab meat
• 2 slices bread
• Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
Break bread into pieces after removing crusts. Dip in milk and press out excess milk. Mix with all remaining ingredients. Shape into cake and fry until golden brown. Serves 4.
Posted by Eelmaster
Crab and Asparagus Salad
This is a modified version of an appetizer I had on Decatur Street in New Orleans at a place called Maximos. They used shrimp and more of a vinaigrette. But, I like mine. The dressing is also killer with tuna tartar.
Ingredients:
• 1 bunch of asparagus steamed.
• A good amount of lump, Dungy, or red crab meat.
• 2 fire-roasted red bell peppers (really roasted tender and peeled)
• Olive oil
• 2 lemons
• Dash of balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dressing:
* In a blender add fresh fire-roasted peppers, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire. Blend vigorously. add olive oil (keep blender on so as to emulsify)until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste and chill.
• Stack the asparagus in the center of the plate with all spears facing the same direction. Pile lump crab meat on top. Then drizzle the fire roasted emulsion around the plate.
Posted by frozendog
Ah, Chef Eely-M is at it again. Sounds good but two lemons is over my limit. How about 1 lemon and 1 orange? Mrs. Eely-M is such a lucky woman.
Posted by Eelmaster
Yeah, man. What ever you like. An orange would probably be really good. A little extra sweetness. That's kind of the point of the balsamic. May switch the two out.
Posted by rsaxatilis on November 16, 2006
It's Crab Season! Where's the Recipes?
SPICY COCO CRAB
Ingredients:
• 2 Medium size Dungeness crabs, shell cracked open (do not remove crab fat), body quartered (Keep juices)
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 yellow onion, halved and then sliced into thin pieces
• 6 ounces julienned ginger
• 1-2 diced jalapeno peppers
• 2 green onion stalks
• 1 can coconut milk (Chaokoh brand if available)
Preparation/Cooking:
• Heat oil (medium heat) in a 5-quart pan and sauté garlic until golden brown, add sliced yellow onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until onion turns translucent.
• Put ginger and sauté for another 3 minutes.
• Put quartered crabs and shell with crab fat inside. Sauté for another 3 minutes until the juices from the crab come out.
• Put the diced jalapeno peppers and let simmer under medium heat until most of the liquid is gone (do not let the liquid completely evaporate).
• Mix in the coconut milk (still under medium heat) and simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
• Put the green onions last, turn off the heat, and cover for another 2 minutes. • Salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve in a deep-dish bowl and eat with steamed white rice.
Bon Appétit!
Posted by fatzmalone
Stir Fried Dungeness & Sweet Chili Sauce & BokChoy
Ingredients:
• 2 live Dungeness crabs, 1 1/2 pounds each
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 fresh red chiles, sliced
• 4 heads baby bok choy, halved
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• Butter lettuce
• 2 chopped green onions, white and green part
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
• White rice, for serving
Preparation/Cooking:
• First thing to do is "dismantle" the crabs before you wok-fry them. Toss the live crabs into salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, place the crabs top-side up, and stick your thumb under the edge of the top shell, pull forward and lift the shell up and off, and reserve. Scrape out the gills that are found on top of the body. Now, turn the crabs over and on the underbelly you will find the "apron," a slightly-lifted triangular flap, pull this off too. Finally, rinse the crabs of all the grey or green spongy stuff (the soft yellow matter is fat or crab butter and considered desirable by many, keep it if you wish.) Divide the crabs into quarters with a big knife, leaving the legs attached to the 4 sections.
• Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. • Add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and bok choy.
• Stir-fry for 1 minute, then remove to a side platter.
• Toss in the crab pieces, including the top shells. Take the top shells out after 1 minute, continue to stir-fry the crab for 3 minutes. With a big spoon or spatula, remove the crab pieces to the side platter.
• Now on to the sauce, pour 1 cup of water into the wok, along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sake.
• Stir for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
• Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook another minute until the sauce thickens.
• Return the crabs and bok choy to the pan, toss everything together to coat.
• Cover, and cook for 3 minutes.
To serve, line a large platter with butter lettuce leaves, and arrange the crabs with the top shell back on top so it looks roughly like a whole crab again - cool right? Put the bok choy around the crab and pour the sauce all over the top. Garnish with the green onions and peanuts. You'll need crab crackers, mini forks, a side bowl for the shells, a stack of napkins, and bowls of warm lemon water to clean your hands. Serve with steamed white rice.
Fatzmalone... Always remember to never trust a skinny cook.
http://kenjonesfishing.com/2012/01/california-crabs-—/
Posted by Ken Jones
From Pier Fishing In California, 2nd Ed. — Cleaning and Cooking Crabs
During the ‘70s I lived in the East Bay community of Pinole. One of the highlights each year was a "crab feed" put on by the local Lions Club. For just a few bucks a person got some green salad, crusty sourdough French bread, a little bowl of Thousand Island dressing, and all the Dungeness crabs you could clean and eat. Everybody put on their bibs, grabbed the pliers and small forks, and dove (figuratively) into the melee. Between the crabs and some cheap red vino (I know, I know — it's supposed to be white with seafood), it was quite a little neighborhood gathering. Such popular "crab nights" were a fixture in many communities during those days, but that was twenty-five years ago. Today I still occasionally see such crab feeds advertised in the papers but there seem to be less and less each year. And the cost now is upwards of $30 (or more) per person.
Surprisingly, even though I've fished from piers for nearly forty years, I've never really gotten into "crabbing." I like to eat them, I just don't care to spend my time catching them. Nevertheless, crabbing is one of the main past times of "Pier Rats" in central and northern California. Given that fact, it might be useful to know how to properly clean and prepare the delicious crustaceans.
The directions below come from an excellent little pamphlet put out by the Washington State Department of Fisheries. It's titled Coastal Washington Jetty and Surf Fishing and was/is available free from the Office of Information and Education, 115 General Administration Building, Olympia, Washington 98504.
"The usual method to cook crab is to drop the live crabs into boiling salted water. Put them in upside-down; the crab will fold its legs against its shell. Be sure the water is at full rolling boil, so the crab dies instantly. The salted, rapidly boiling water will firm the meat and improve the flavor. Use 1/4 cup salt to each quart of water. Cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool quickly in cold water. When cool, lift the top shell from the rear and pull off. Discard the shell and the yellow fat, which clings to it. Discard the brown colored gills on both sides under the back shell. Turn the crab on its back and break off the mouth parts and the tail piece (apron), turn over and scrape out the center fat and entrails, and flush the cavity under cold running water.
Crab meat can be “cracked” and then eaten directly from the shell, with a sauce, or in a more elaborate recipe. The body meat may be shaken out of the crab by breaking the crab in half, crushing the shell, and knocking it against the edge of a bowl. Use a small pick, claw, or fork to remove bits of meat from the shell, but avoid crushing the meat. Pliers may be used, if gently handled, to crush the leg shell. Break away the shell and extract the meat."
2018 Update — Today just go to the Washington Fishing & Shellfishing Page for additional information — https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/clean_prepare.html
Another section from the book — New friends, conversation and interesting stories are bonuses when I visit California's piers. One such story was provided by an angler sharing the rail at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon, up in San Francisco Bay. He had grown up in Santa Monica and related how, as a teenager, he would go out at night to the Santa Monica Pier to go fishing. According to him, there were a number of Chinese fishermen who made a regular habit of snagging crabs with large treble hooks. Not much of a story there except that they evidently kept a fire going under a large pot filled with seawater. As they caught a crab it went into the pot and an ongoing communal sort of crab feast was the result. He said he would sneak a bottle of wine from his parent's larder and he and the Chinamen (his words) would fish and feast (a.k.a. party) most of the night. This was supposed to have occurred back in the ‘60s. Today you would probably need to bring some crusty sourdough bread, the proper cheese, and a good Cabernet if you wanted to do it right (although a proletarian Zinfandel seems more appropriate for a pier)!
As seen, to enjoy fresh Dungeness or rock crabs requires nothing more than the cooked crab itself and perhaps a little salad, bread, and dressing along with, if so inclined, a little wine. The taste of the crab meat itself is delicious. However, there are many, many recipes and ways to enjoy the crab.
From Pier Fishing In California, 2nd Ed. — Everyone in our house loves crab cakes and whenever we travel to an area known for its crabs — Maryland, Virginia, Mississippi, New Orleans — and of course the San Francisco Bay Area, we like to sample he local variety. The following is a somewhat generic recipe and will work equally well with almost any type of crab.
Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. flaked crab meat
• 2 slices bread
• Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
Break bread into pieces after removing crusts. Dip in milk and press out excess milk. Mix with all remaining ingredients. Shape into cake and fry until golden brown. Serves 4.
Posted by Eelmaster
Crab and Asparagus Salad
This is a modified version of an appetizer I had on Decatur Street in New Orleans at a place called Maximos. They used shrimp and more of a vinaigrette. But, I like mine. The dressing is also killer with tuna tartar.
Ingredients:
• 1 bunch of asparagus steamed.
• A good amount of lump, Dungy, or red crab meat.
• 2 fire-roasted red bell peppers (really roasted tender and peeled)
• Olive oil
• 2 lemons
• Dash of balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dressing:
* In a blender add fresh fire-roasted peppers, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire. Blend vigorously. add olive oil (keep blender on so as to emulsify)until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste and chill.
• Stack the asparagus in the center of the plate with all spears facing the same direction. Pile lump crab meat on top. Then drizzle the fire roasted emulsion around the plate.
Posted by frozendog
Ah, Chef Eely-M is at it again. Sounds good but two lemons is over my limit. How about 1 lemon and 1 orange? Mrs. Eely-M is such a lucky woman.
Posted by Eelmaster
Yeah, man. What ever you like. An orange would probably be really good. A little extra sweetness. That's kind of the point of the balsamic. May switch the two out.
Posted by rsaxatilis on November 16, 2006
It's Crab Season! Where's the Recipes?
SPICY COCO CRAB
Ingredients:
• 2 Medium size Dungeness crabs, shell cracked open (do not remove crab fat), body quartered (Keep juices)
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 yellow onion, halved and then sliced into thin pieces
• 6 ounces julienned ginger
• 1-2 diced jalapeno peppers
• 2 green onion stalks
• 1 can coconut milk (Chaokoh brand if available)
Preparation/Cooking:
• Heat oil (medium heat) in a 5-quart pan and sauté garlic until golden brown, add sliced yellow onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until onion turns translucent.
• Put ginger and sauté for another 3 minutes.
• Put quartered crabs and shell with crab fat inside. Sauté for another 3 minutes until the juices from the crab come out.
• Put the diced jalapeno peppers and let simmer under medium heat until most of the liquid is gone (do not let the liquid completely evaporate).
• Mix in the coconut milk (still under medium heat) and simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
• Put the green onions last, turn off the heat, and cover for another 2 minutes. • Salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve in a deep-dish bowl and eat with steamed white rice.
Bon Appétit!
Posted by fatzmalone
Stir Fried Dungeness & Sweet Chili Sauce & BokChoy
Ingredients:
• 2 live Dungeness crabs, 1 1/2 pounds each
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 fresh red chiles, sliced
• 4 heads baby bok choy, halved
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• Butter lettuce
• 2 chopped green onions, white and green part
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
• White rice, for serving
Preparation/Cooking:
• First thing to do is "dismantle" the crabs before you wok-fry them. Toss the live crabs into salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, place the crabs top-side up, and stick your thumb under the edge of the top shell, pull forward and lift the shell up and off, and reserve. Scrape out the gills that are found on top of the body. Now, turn the crabs over and on the underbelly you will find the "apron," a slightly-lifted triangular flap, pull this off too. Finally, rinse the crabs of all the grey or green spongy stuff (the soft yellow matter is fat or crab butter and considered desirable by many, keep it if you wish.) Divide the crabs into quarters with a big knife, leaving the legs attached to the 4 sections.
• Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. • Add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and bok choy.
• Stir-fry for 1 minute, then remove to a side platter.
• Toss in the crab pieces, including the top shells. Take the top shells out after 1 minute, continue to stir-fry the crab for 3 minutes. With a big spoon or spatula, remove the crab pieces to the side platter.
• Now on to the sauce, pour 1 cup of water into the wok, along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sake.
• Stir for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
• Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook another minute until the sauce thickens.
• Return the crabs and bok choy to the pan, toss everything together to coat.
• Cover, and cook for 3 minutes.
To serve, line a large platter with butter lettuce leaves, and arrange the crabs with the top shell back on top so it looks roughly like a whole crab again - cool right? Put the bok choy around the crab and pour the sauce all over the top. Garnish with the green onions and peanuts. You'll need crab crackers, mini forks, a side bowl for the shells, a stack of napkins, and bowls of warm lemon water to clean your hands. Serve with steamed white rice.
Fatzmalone... Always remember to never trust a skinny cook.
Last edited:
So do you just boil them or how do you prepare them? I have a crabbing/ landing net, so I could always through it over and see what happens. any suggestions for bait, technique etc.? Tight Lines, Baitfish