Steamed Crabs

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Thanks for the info. MsMai!

[MsMai]

to you both. Although my DH is a wonderful cook I just didn't give any thought to male participation. Thanks for letting me know

[shipscook]

to you both. Although my DH is a wonderful cook I just didn't give any thought to male participation. Thanks for letting me know

I would say that way over half of the user names on these forums do not give a clue as to gender? As a matter of fact just today, I got a clue about several on another form when they refered to their husband or wife. But even then, not a totally clear indication?

Nan

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Hey Gang-

Here I sit in light linen jammies with Noxema rubbed all over my tender shoulders, neck, face- and yes even on the many odd sections of my hairless scalp!

Am back after a day and a half away. HOT STEAMY summer weather has struck my part of the mid-west and my family had all kinds of doin's to celebrate. I'm not a fan of super-hot weather, so now that I'm drained and sunburnt beyond belief, after working in sis's yard, painting her garage, and taking dunks in the pool with my l'il nephew and his way-too-rambunctious buds all weekend. I'll likely stay indoors in the cool of the C/A the rest of the summer... especially in a couple weeks as the Dawg Dayz of August arrive! I tell ya- working the graveyard shift and sleeping days is an odd schedule to grow accustomed to, but it definitely has its advantages! Developing into a night-owl isn't all bad- especially at this hottest time of year... I'm becoming familiar with sitting on the patio at 3:00AM in the cool breeze with a beer, and some sultry Patsy Cline and Sarah Vaughn mingling with the crickets' song and swirling-off into the night air...

Anyway, for sis's pork-chop/salmon barbecue last night I made mama's yummy Peach Creme Cake though altered it a wee bit by layering it into a trifle dish- it was loved by all and I'll definitely make it again- thanks mama! Also enjoyed the juiciest chops and King Salmon ever- along with tender peaches-and-cream-corn-on-the-cob, sliced red tomatos (YUM, janie & cathy! Hee-Hee!) two-bean salad (made w/ fresh green beans & yella wax beans) and a different sweet-potato salad made by Dad's wife with maple-syrup/mayo, chopped celery, golden raisins & pecans... Yum!

It's neat to read of everyone's redition of the perfect crab methods. I'll admit- my crab-cooking techniques were ZIP before I went to Alaska, and as Nan offered- up there we only do it one way- boiled in water- perhaps enhanced with a beer- and almost always w/ a hand-full of Old Bay dumped in. To me, steaming seems needlessly delicate, because fishing the crab-legs out of boiling water w/ tongs or a 'spider' doesn't produce a water-logged product at all, surprisingly- but to each his own, I guess.

My fav is King Crab because of it's HUGE size and unblieveable meat-yield. In a perfect world, Red King is preferred but because Brown King is usually cheaper by several dollars per pound- yet very similar to Red (Brown tends to have a slightly thicker, more spiny shell that can be more difficult to get opened-up) I usually pick-up Brown King. Of course we also have Dungies up north and Tanner, Opilio and Baridi varieties (known in the lower-48 by their more common market-names: 'snow-crab'). I enjoy it all, but I'll admit, easy access to King will defintiely spoil one for the smaller, less meaty varieties. Also- King is a beautiful snow-white and red meat... not yellowish or brownish or dingey in coloration at all. Many varieties of picked lump crabmeat available here from the East to me appear a wee-bit less appetizing due to it's "dirty" appearance. But again- that's just the attitude of someone spoiled for years with the grand-daddy of them all- the KING!

By the way MsMai, no need to aopolgize about the gender mistake- it's nearly impossible to tell at a place like this sometimes! (New avatar is a shot of Arturo wrestling with a pair of still-kicking Red Kings!)

[KYHeirloomer]

Omigod, Chubby. For a minute I thought Arturo had turned into some sort of Great White Northern version of Edward Scissorhands.

Having had them both ways, I'd have to say you are right: Boiling does not produce a water logged product at all; any more than it does with lobster or stone crab.

I prefer steaming primarily because it's faster. It takes two days longer than forever for a kettle of water to come to a full boil. But the couple of cups in the bottom of a steamer are doing their thing in moments.

Of course, the very best way of cooking them is to do so right there where you catch them, using whichever method you like best. Boiling---steaming---it's all good.

[KYHeirloomer]

Forgot to mention, Chubbs. Vinegar on that sunburn will make you feel a whole lot better.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

I'll try the vinegar KYH... I've often heard that about sunburns...

Speaking of vinegar- what's the deal with it in steaming-liquid for the crabs? Does it contribute anything at all?

Most folks in Alaska keep their crab-pots in the garage because more often than not they are used out doors in fire-pits , rather than inside. I think I've eaten far more crablegs out in yards, in driveways and on rocky stretches of coastline and on beaches than inside at a table!

[MsMai]

during the winter for that purpose and, of course, we have a Phillips Restaurant downtown Annapolis at City Dock which we frequent during the wintertime.

I am not clear on your comment
"not yellowish or brownish or dingey in coloration at all".
Steamed crabs do not have discoloration. Or at least the ones in this area. A carton of backfin should be white in appearance. Not as white as the Alaskan crab meat, but by no means should it be yellowish or brownish or dingey. I wouldn't eat it if that was the case. I will do some research as to why the steamed method is preferred here. Stay tuned

This has made me so hungry for crabs.

BTW, the temp here is outrageous also; 100-105. It'll make an indoor gal out of you real fast.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Hmmm... odd, MsMai. I've rarely seen a carton of east coast lump crabmeat that didn't look yellow/brown (or dingey/dirty to my eye). Not trying to be rudely hyper-critical at all, but part of my preference for Alaskan varieties has always been the beautiful snow-white/red meat of the legs. Even the body meat appears cleaner that that of other regions, to me.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

A crabcake question...

When pan-frying crabcakes I've always flattened the cake, patty-style and fried on both sides... same w/ salmon-cakes or salmon-'patties' like I grew up on.

Lately though, I've seen round "cakes" that aren't flattened, and these tend to be deep-fried rather than pan-fried....

Is this just a regional difference? What is you folks' experience with this? Any preferences?