Boiled Hard Shell Blue Crabs Recipes

STEAMED BLUE CRABS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup seafood seasoning, salt, beer, and vinegar in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a strong simmer.
• Right before cooking, carefully place each crab upside down and stick a knife through the shell, just behind mouth.
• Fit a screen over the beer mixture and layer the crabs on the screen. Be sure that the crabs are above the simmering liquid. Cover.
• Steam crabs until they turn bright orange and all of the blue/green color is gone, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup seafood seasoning before serving.

DELAWARE BLUE CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• Crush the dill seed, mustard, and cumin in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Pour the spices into a 5 gallon stockpot along with the chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, dill, sage, and parsley. Fill the pot 3/4 full with water, and bring to a rolling boil over an intense flame.
• Add the blue crabs, cover the pot, and boil until all of the shells turn red, and the meat is no longer translucent, about 20 minutes. Stir the crabs occasionally as they boil to ensure even cooking.

BOILED HARD-SHELL BLUE CRABS

Steps:

• Make Cocktail Sauce.
• Heat water to boiling in stockpot or canner. Drop 4 crabs at a time into water. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes; drain. Repeat with remaining crabs.
• Follow directions for How to Eat Crabmeat. Serve with Cocktail Sauce.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRABS

Steps:

• Place about 6 cups of water, the vinegar, and the beer in an 8-gallon stockpot fitted with a raised rack. If you don't have a raised rack, use bricks wrapped in clean cloth to raise your rack about 6 inches off the bottom. It is important that the crabs not get wet while they're being steamed.
• Make a layer of crabs on the rack, and cover them with 1/8 to 3/4 inch of crab seasoning. Bring the liquid to a boil. Once the steam starts to rise through the crabs, cover pot with lid, and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crabs are bright red. Remove the crabs with tongs or rubber gloves. (Using rubber gloves makes handling easier, preventing you from burning your hands -- and inadvertently dropping any crabs.)

BOILED HARD-SHELL BLUE

Steps:

• 1. Heat water to boiling in stockpot or canner. Drop 4 crabs at a time into water. Cover and heat to boiling reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes drain. Repeat with remaining crabs.2. Follow directions below to remove meat. Serve with Cocktail SauceNUTRITION FACTS: 1 Serving: Calories 100 (Calories from Fat 20) Fat 2g (Saturated 0g) Cholesterol 105mg Sodium 290mg Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 0g) Protein 21g % DAILY VALUE: Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 10% Iron 4% DIET EXCHANGES: 3 Very Lean MeatFrom "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.