Steaming Blue Crabs

Serve melted butter for dipping the sweet crab meat after steaming.

Steamed blue crab is considered a delicacy by many, whether you live on the Atlantic or Gulf Coast or far inland. Steaming crabs requires little time but you must have a large pot. Handling the live crabs is a bit dangerous if you don't protect your hands from the crab claws. Corn on the cob, baby red potatoes, celery and onions all add to the steamed treat. Add coleslaw and fresh sliced tomatoes with the meal. Eating a blue crab tends to be messy, so have plenty of paper towels for your guests.

Things You'll Need

• Tongs or heavy rubber gloves
• Large bowl of ice
• Measuring cup
• Beer or vinegar (approximately 1 cup)
• Steamer pot or 16 quart pot with metal steaming rack
• Several onions, small red potatoes, short corn on cob
• Seafood seasoning, salt, dry mustard or preferred seasoning (8 ounces)
• Seafood forks and claw-cracking tools (optional)

Instructions

1. Inspect each crab. Do not cook dead crabs. Discard them as dead crabs deteriorate quickly. Place the live crabs into a bowl of clean ice water. Leave them in the ice water for 15 minutes. This immobilizes the crabs. If you put hyperactive crabs into boiling water, often the legs and claws come off.

2. Decide whether to cook inside on the stove or outside on a propane-powered burner. Steaming or boiling crabs can fill your kitchen with aroma.

3. Add equal parts of water and beer or vinegar to a 16 quart pot with a metal steaming rack inside. Or use a steamer pot. The liquid needs to be a depth of two inches for proper steaming.

4. Grab the crabs one by one out of the ice water with tongs or wear heavy rubber gloves. Place the crabs on the steamer tray in the pot. Add optional vegetables: several sliced onions, small red potatoes, short corn on cob.

5. Alternate layers of crabs and seasoning in the pot. Eight ounces of seasoning is adequate for a dozen crabs.

6. Stop filling the pot once it nears the top. The lid must be able to rest on the rim of the pot well to seal it and provide adequate steaming.

7. Set the stove eye on a medium-high flame. The liquids will start to boil within four or five minutes.

8. Steam the crabs until they are a reddish-orange color. This takes approximately a half hour to reach the right color. Inspect the color of the top crab to ensure the crabs are cooked properly. If you're steaming vegetables, check to see they are properly cooked. Potatoes take longer than corn. Celery steams quickly.

9. Remove the crabs with the tongs and serve them immediately if your guests prefer them warm. Some people prefer crabs served in a bowl of ice to chill the sweet meat.

Tips & Warnings

• Spread newspaper as a table cover.

• Provide seafood forks and claw-crackers to reach the meat inside the crab legs.

• Serve plenty of melted butter to dip the meat in.

• If crabs are the entree, provide approximately six crabs per person.

• Never steam a crab that is dead.

References

• S. DiPaula & Sons Seafood Inc.: How to Steam Crabs
• Skipjack Net: Steamed Blue Crabs