Blue Swimming Crab Recipes: Elevating Your Home Kitchen with this Unique Dish

When selecting blue swimming crabs for your recipe, you can choose from live, fresh, or frozen crabs. When choosing live blue swimming crabs, look for crabs that are active and moving, with no signs of damage or discolouration. For frozen blue swimming crabs, always ensure that you purchase from a reputable supplier such as Seaco, which is known for its quality and sustainable practices. The crabs should feel firm to the touch, indicating good quality and freshness.

Once you've selected your crabs, you'll need to prepare them for cooking. Depending on the recipe you're using, this can involve cleaning, deshelling, and cutting the crabs into pieces.

When it comes to cooking blue swimming crabs, there are many different methods to choose from. Some popular techniques include stir-frying, steaming, and deep-frying. You can also experiment with different flavour enhancements, such as garlic, chilli, and soy sauce, to create a unique and delicious dish. So why not give it a try and impress your family and friends with your culinary skills? 

Key Takeaways

• Blue swimming crabs are a popular ingredient in many cuisines and can be cooked in various ways.
• When selecting blue crabs, you can choose crabs that are live, fresh, or frozen. When choosing frozen blue swimming crabs, ensure that you purchase from a reputable supplier.
• Experiment with different cooking methods and flavour enhancements to create a unique and delicious dish.

Selecting Quality Blue Swimming Crabs

It's important to start with high-quality crabs, especially if you intend to try out steamed blue swimming crabs. Here are some tips for selecting the best blue crabs:

Identifying Male and Female Crabs

Before you purchase blue swimming crabs, it's important to know how to identify male and female crabs. Male crabs have a narrow, triangular abdomen resembling a “V” shape, while female crabs have a wide, rounded abdomen. You can also tell the difference by looking at the claws - male crabs have larger claws, while female crabs have smaller claws.

When it comes to cooking blue swimming crabs, many people prefer to use male crabs, as they tend to have more meat. However, female crabs are also delicious and can be used in many recipes.

Freshness Indicators

When purchasing blue swimming crabs, look for signs of freshness. The shell should be hard and free of cracks or holes. The crab should also feel heavy for its size - a light crab may indicate that it's been out of the water for too long.

Another indicator of freshness is the roe - if the female crab has roe, it should be bright orange and firm. If it's discoloured or mushy, the crab may not be fresh.

If you're unable to find fresh blue swimming crabs, you can also use frozen blue swimming crabs. Buying from reputable suppliers ensures that the crabs are frozen at peak freshness and remain fresh for your use. 

Preparation Techniques

If you are planning to cook blue swimming crab, it is important to know how to prepare the crab properly. Here are some techniques you can use to get your crab ready for cooking.

Rinse the crab under cold running water to remove any dirt or debris. Carefully pry open the top shell using a knife. Remove the gills located at the sides of the crab, under the shell. You can use your fingers or a spoon to gently remove them. Next, look for the intestines, which are dark, feathery masses located near the crab’s mouth. Lastly, rinse the inside of the crab with cold water to remove any remaining debris. 

If the recipe calls for only blue swimming crab meat, you can start cracking and removing the shell once you have cleaned and gutted the crab. To do this, you will need to use a crab cracker. Hold the crab in one hand and use the cracker or pliers to crack the shell on the legs and claws.

After cracking the shell, use your fingers to remove the meat. Be sure to remove any small pieces of shell that may have broken off during the cracking process. You can also use a small fork or pick to help you get the meat out of the legs and claws.

 Cooking Methods

Steamed Blue Swimming Crab

Steaming blue swimming crab is one of the classic ways of cooking blue swimming crabs in Chinese cuisine. You will need:

• 1 live blue swimming crab
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Start by cleaning and gutting the crabs. Next, make the sauce for steaming by combining the rice wine, light soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Next, place the crab in a steamer basket and pour the sauce over it. Cover the steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes or until the crab is cooked through. Remove the crab from the steamer and let it cool slightly. Garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately. 

Making Blue Swimming Crab Pasta

Blue Swimming Crab pasta is also a popular way of enjoying the crab meat. You will need the following ingredients:

• 1 pound/450g of blue swimming crab meat
• 1 pound dried spaghetti
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Start by cooking the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.  

Next, in another pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, stir in the blue swimming crab meat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the crab is heated through. 

Next, pour in the white wine and let it reduce for about 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens. Finally, toss the cooked spaghetti with the creamy crab sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions