Steamed Crabs

[Mama Mangia]

1 bushel of Blue Crabs
1/4 cup of water
1 can or bottle of beer (any beer will work)
Can of seasoning.
Kosher salt
2 tbsp of vinegar

For a pot that holds a 1/2 bushel of crabs pour in a can of beer, 1/4 cup of water, and 2 tbsp of vinegar. Layer crabs in pot. On every layer sprinkle seasoning and kosher salt to the desired amount. (If seafood seasoning like Old Bay is not avaliable it is easy to make. Seasoned Salt, celery seed, pepper, and paprika.) Steam crabs for about 15 to 20 minutes until orange.

[KYHeirloomer]

To steam crabs right actually takes two cans of beer, Mama. One goes in the steamer kettle and the other goes in the steamer---if you take my meaning.

I never use extra salt on the crab layers myself, as Old Bay and similar spice mixes are heavy enough on the salt side as it is.

And ideally there should be a rack in the pot, so that the liquid level stays below the crabs. The only moisture that should touch them is the steam itself.

[Mama Mangia]

hey - want more instructions - fine -

In a large boiling pot with a 2 inch raised rack add water and vinegar in equal amounts until the level is just below the rack. Bring to a boil. Drop the crabs into the pot in single layers*, sprinkling each layer with a thick coating of Old Bay and salt. The larger the pot, the more crabs you can steam at once, just make sure that the lid is still able to fit tightly. Steam in batches if you have to. Cover the pot and steam until until crabs turn a bright orange, about 20 minutes. If the shells are dark red or have reddish-green patches, then the crabs are not fully cooked and you need to keep steaming them. I found that stirring occasionally with a long handled spoon helped make sure the crabs at the top were cooked enough. Remove the crabs from the pot with tongs and serve on a newspaper lined table, preferably outdoors. Make sure you have lots of paper towels! Now, I am a Baltimore native and an experienced crab picker so I normally don't need any utensils beyond my fingers but it is often wise to have wooden crab mallets, butter knives or even nut cracking tools handy in case you need them to get the last bits of crab out of the shell. Now you are ready to get picking!

[MsMai]

on where you live.

In Annapolis, between Baltimore and DC, we use no water to steam crabs, just beer and vinegar. We use the rack to prevent the crabs from being boiled in the liquid, the purpose is to steam them. Here, we layer them and season each layer with a mix of salt and Old Bay Seasoning. How long you cook them depends on the size of the crabs, and how many you are steaming at one time. Usually a full pot with mixed size is approximately 30 minutes. Once they begin to steam well, turn the heat to med. as having the pot too hot (heavy steam) will result in wet, soggy crabs. When shells begin to turn red, stir crabs and add more Old Bay mixture.

We have lived along the Bay and enjoyed this delicacy for 40 years. HOWEVER, DUE TO LOW YIELD AND THE PRICE ESCALATING TO OVER $200. PER BUSHEL WE WON'T BE ENJOYING THEM THIS YEAR It is as insane as these gas prices we are dealing with.

[KYHeirloomer]

Good grief, Mai. Sounds like another bad year on the Chesapeake. Sorry to hear that.

Kind of strange, too. We made our annual trip to the Outer Banks a month ago, and it was one of our best seasons ever for crabs. In fact, we did very little fishing because the crabbing was so good. Friend Wife was pulling the pots every five minutes, and there were always crabs in them.

Lots of little ones, it's true. But more than enough keepers to make us happy. Ate crab every day, and brought some home as well.

Matter of fact, that won ton recipe with the peach gastrique was developed on that trip.

The specifics of steaming lie, I think, in who first taught you, rather than geography per say. Along the Eastern Shore, for instance, its mixed. Some do it your way. Some do it Mama's. And some actually boil their crabs. And everyone, of course, insists their's is the only right way.

Further down in Southern Maryland it's also a mixed bag of methods. But I've noticed that around Annapolis it is mostly beer/vinegar, as you say.

The best steamed crab meal we ever had was due to location. Number one son was attending American University. We were on the Eastern Shore, and stopped at Harrison's on the way up for a couple of dozen steamed. We took those to Washington, where we, Seth, and his then fiance at them al fresco on one of the campus lawns---getting jealous looks from every facilty member and the students who recognized what we were eating.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

It's got to be a location thing in how they are cooked, down in south Alabama we boil them, well down there in the DEEP south they boil EVERYTHING, I remember green beans drenched in bacon drippings and boiled to a ridiculous state of over-doneness and folks loved it! Personally until reading this post I have NEVER heard of beer for steaming them. I do remember a place called LUMS that specialized in hotdogs steamed in beer. Does the beer impart any noticeable flavor into the crab meat? I would think not, but why beer if not?

[KYHeirloomer]

>in the DEEP south they boil EVERYTHING,<

Everything they don't fry, at any rate.

[MsMai]

have eaten crabs at Harrison's many times. In fact, at work, we used them for catering purposes a couple of times. We have lots of good places around the general area here.

I have watched Emeril boil crabs and have wondered if they are wet and soggy. I wanted to yell, "no, no, no, Em." We work hard to keep them away from the liquid, thus a heavy dry crab. Great picking. I have never eaten them boiled in water.

They say the crabs that are coming out of the Bay are excellent ones this year, it is just that there are so few of them.

I have enjoyed the conversation ladies, and learning about crabs in your part of our world

[KYHeirloomer]

>I have enjoyed the conversation ladies,....<

Alright, kiddies. Who wants to tell her? Cathy? Janie? Chubby?

[shipscook]

in southeast Alaska, with amazing Dungies and King Crab, we boil 'em with Old Bay.

and don't let these guys give you a bad time you MsMia. KY and Chubby are dudes, but we let them hang out anyway!!!

welcome,
Nan