The messy cracking and sucking on the shells of boiled whole crab has always creates a fun-loving, picnic-like atmosphere. The goal should be to eat the crab species that are found closest to where you live so they have the greatest chance of being “just caught.” Even better, make friends with a crab fisherman and go catch them yourself.
Whole, live crab should feel heavy for their size and be extremely active. Cooked whole crabs should be bright red, while cooked crab meat should be white, somewhat translucent and smell and taste of the sea, not of ammonia.
Crab From the Atlantic Coast
Blue Crab
A resident of the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod south to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico, this crab species is most prevalent along the Chesapeake Bay. Blue crabs appear along the Eastern Shore in the spring just before warm weather begins. Blue crab meat is sold either fresh or pasteurized. After the crabs are steamed, the meat is picked over and then packed into cans, sorted as either “lump meat” (solid, whole lump meat from the body), “flake meat” (small pieces of meat from the body), or “claw meat” (meat from the claws that is usually brown in color). Whole Blue crabs yield approximately 15% meat in proportion to their body weight.
Blue crab meat has a sweet, buttery flavor, but its texture depends on what part of the crab the meat comes from.
Note: During their normal growing cycle, all crabs must shed their shells. A softshell crab is a Blue crab that has shed its hard outer shell. For five to six hours, until its hard outer shell grows back, the crab has only a soft shell. Soft-shell crabs (once cleaned) are usually eaten whole and are never picked over for meat. Soft-shell crabs must be cooked and eaten immediately or the soft shell takes on an undesirable leathery characteristic.
Jonah Crab
This crab species is native to the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Long Island. It appears in clear, open water and is most abundant during the spring. The Jonah crab, also known as “Peeky Toe crab,” is in the same family as the Dungeness crab, but has less meat than its West Coast cousin. We have found that Jonah crab, if available, is the best Atlantic Ocean crab substitute for the Pacific Dungeness crab.
Stone/Spider Crab
Stone crab is a type of Spider crab found in the Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina southward through the Florida Keys and into the Caribbean. Its rock-like, oval-shaped outer shell inspires its name.
Stone crab season begins on October 15 and ends on April 15. To protect the Stone crab species, commercial fishermen are only allowed to keep one claw and release the rest of the catch. This does not harm the crab and in no way inhibits the crab’s feeding capabilities, since claws are used for only defensive purposes. It can take up to two years for the crab to regenerate another claw. Stone Crab claw meat is sweet and delicate with a flavor and texture similar to the claw meat of the Maine lobster. Stone crab claws are usually sold cooked and sometimes frozen.
Crab From the Pacific Coast
Dungeness Crab
A native of cold Pacific Ocean waters from Mexico to Alaska, the majority of Dungeness crabs are harvested near San Francisco and along the Oregon and Washington coast. The harvest season begins in December and runs through August. Production usually peaks in December through March. The Dungeness crab fisheries are considered to be well-managed and are one of the world’s most sustainable large-scale commercial crab fisheries. To protect the breeding population only male crabs larger than a set minimum size can be harvested and fishing is prohibited during the breeding season. At other specific times of the year only certain Native American populations may harvest crabs. The circular pots used to catch Dungeness crab are highly selective traps, meaning that bycatch is not an issue with these fisheries.
Dungeness crab meat is sold either fresh or frozen (crabs are steamed, the meat is picked and then canned), as “leg meat” (usually the most prized and most expensive), or as “broken leg meat” or “body meat.” Whole Dungeness crabs yield approximately 25% meat in proportion to body weight. Dungeness crab meat has a light, slightly nutty flavor and a delicate sweetness.
Alaska King Crab
This crab species inhabits the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia north through Northern Alaska. There are three commercial King crab species: Red King crabs, Blue King crabs and Golden King crabs. Each species is harvested from late autumn through early winter. King crab is sold either whole or as “legs and claws” (individual whole legs and claws that have been separated at the shoulder), “split legs” individual whole legs that have been split in half lengthwise), “select portions” (the meatiest section of the leg, considered by crab lovers to be the most desirable part of the crab), or “broiler claws” (single claws scored around the top so the shell can be easily removed to expose the tender white meat). King crab meat is firm and sweet with a bright membrane and white flesh. Red King crab is the most prized of the three species.
Snow Crab
A native of the North Pacific, this species is found primarily in Alaskan and Canadian waters. The Alaskan Snow crab harvest usually runs mid January through March. Both the King crab and Snow crab fisheries are closely managed by Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Snow crab meat is a good substitute for King crab, but its subtle flavor is less sweet than King crab and the meat is not as red.
Stuart Stein - Stuart Stein When it comes to regional, market-driven cooking, many chefs talk the talk, but few walk the walk quite as ardently as ...
