How to Cool Frozen Crabs

Lemon wedges are a nice accompaniment for crab.

Crab is a perennial favorite of seafood cuisine, in no small part for its delicious flesh. Nevertheless, crab poses a challenge in its preparation. Its hard shell and limbs hide its meat, and some effort is needed to access it. Frozen crab, unlike live crustaceans, can be prepared in many ways for the cooking process. For a succulent culinary touch, you may consider saving large pieces of crab shell on which to serve the meat. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Plastic bag
Bowl
Scrub brush
Nutcracker
Wooden mallet
Knife
Small fork
Lemon wedges
Buttered brown bread
Sandy tea

Instructions

Preparing Crab For Cooking
- 1
  
  Defrost your crab in the refrigerator. This process is slow, lasting up to a full 24 hours. However, the method ensures that the crab's moisture, nutrients and flavor are maintained.
- 2
  
  Thaw crab under cold water, for a quicker option. Put it in a sealed plastic bag and then set it in a large bowl. Place the bowl under a faucet running with cold water, positioning the faucet so that it makes a stream of water that fills and spills out the bowl. One pound of crab takes 30 minutes to an hour to defrost in this way.
- 3
  
  Microwave crab, if you're in a serious time crunch. Choose the lowest defroster setting possible on the machine, normally 30 percent. It takes about five minutes for the crab to thaw in this manner and it should be cooked as soon as possible.
Cooking Crab
- 4
  
  Clean the crab with a scrubbing brush. The water in which it was frozen may be dirty, making this a necessary step. Firmly scrub the crab shell for a few minutes and then rinse with fresh water.
- 5
  
  Boil or steam the crab. This will soften its shell, making it easier to prepare. One and 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs require 15 minutes of cooking, while three-pound crabs need 20 minutes or slightly more.
- 6
  
  Remove inedible elements from the crab. Turn it upside down and lift off its back shell. Drain excess liquid from the shell. Scoop the crab fat into a small bowl, which you can serve alongside the crabmeat.
- 7
  
  Take off the reddish membrane on the crab's body. Pull off its gills, which will be long and spongy. Rinse off the crab's body.
- 8
  
  Prepare the crab legs and claws by twisting them off the body. Crack the shell of each leg and claw with a hard blow from a nutcracker or wooden mallet. Prepare the crab legs and claws by twisting them off the body.
- 9
  
  Cut the crab's body into four parts with a knife. Remove the flesh from all the crab parts using your fingers and a small fork. Throw away empty shells. Serve with the crab fat, sandy tea, buttered brown bread and lemon wedges.
- 10
  
  Prepare the crab legs and claws by twisting them off the body. Crack the shell of each leg and claw with a hard blow from a nutcracker or wooden mallet.