How to Cook Maryland Crab

Maryland crabs, better known as blue crabs, are the state crustacean of Maryland and are famously harvested from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. A classic way to enjoy Maryland blue crabs is by steaming them with water, vinegar and Old Bay seasoning. Blue crabs are high in vitamin B12. Their shells contain pigment that renders them blue; this is broken down when they cook, causing the shells to turn red. Other popular dishes that can be prepared with Maryland blue crab include crab dip, crab cakes and crab quiche.

Things You'll Need

• Steamer tray
• Vinegar
• Old Bay seasoning
• Knife
• Pot
• Rubber gloves (optional)
• Mallet

Instructions

1. Bring equal parts vinegar and water to boil with a steam tray on top. The liquid should come up to the height of the steam tray but no higher. To prepare classic steamed Maryland crab, drop the crabs on top of the steamer tray and sprinkle a handful of Old Bay seasoning between each layer of crabs.

2. Cook, covered, until the shells of the crab turn orange, indicating they've finished cooking. One full pot of crabs should take 20 to 30 minutes to steam properly, but the best indicator is the color of the shells. Wait until they are orange to remove from steam.

3. Remove the crabs from the steamer and sprinkle with additional Old Bay and salt. If you are serving cold crabs, plunge them into a tub of ice water before cleaning them. Otherwise, bring them to the table and guests can clean their individual crabs.

4. Using the rubber gloves if you prefer, hold the crab belly up and pull off legs. Set aside for later; you will need the mallet to crack legs in half and remove meat.

5. Tug at the belly shell to remove. Wedge a knife into the side of shell if it refuses to come up and pull lightly to detach. The apron should swing free at this point so pull and set aside.

6. Pull the top shell free and discard.

7. Remove the crab gills using your knife or a finger. Never eat crab gills. Now you can use your knife to scrape edible meat from the shells.

Tips & Warnings

• Live crabs may be frozen for 30 minutes before cooking to deaden their senses.

• If you are not sure when the crabs were caught or have questions about their health hazards, do not eat them. Never purchase dead crabs.

References

• Maryland State Crustacean
• Steaming Blue Crabs