Smokes Crabs

GATABITES

Hello eggheads:

Has anyone here smoked crabs on the BGE? I live in Baltimore and was wondering if I could surprise my guest with smoked crabs. I am sure someone has done it. 

TurtleCreek

I am from MD too ... thought about it, but i just can't stop steaming them.  

Tjcoley

Really want to try Blue Crabs or Dungeness at some point.  Closest I've come so far on the Egg is Crab Claws

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1142920/shrimp-kabobs-and-crab-claws#latest

TurtleCreek

I have seen a video of guys from Georgia (I think) who "clean" the the crabs first in ice cold water and then steam them after all the mustard, guts, lung, etc are removed.  Maybe that would be a good way to smoke them.  

hapster

A few years ago my BIL did clams and king crab legs on his gasser. They were fantastic! I can only imagine that they would be insane done on the BGE

nolaegghead

I've smoked clams and oysters.  I don't see why not.  With crab, there's the issue of a slow, painful death.  I'm not sure about the species of crustacean, but lobster, for example, release an enzyme when they start dying that makes the meat turn into mush.  So you have to boil or quick freeze the meat to keep the enzyme from ruining it.  Maybe throw them in boiling water for a minute then on the egg.

Little Steven

I've done snow crabs and king legs. Just awesome! If you make a bisque with the smoked shells it is incredible too. Hard to get soft shell here but I'm pretty sure they would be the bomb

nolaegghead

I have done lobster tail on the egg a couple of times...they were frozen when I bought them.  Came out fantastic.

GATABITES

My mom is coming in town from Florida next month and she loves crabs. I may try something. Maybe cleaning them and smoking them in halves... 

Tjcoley

nolaegghead said:

I have done lobster tail on the egg a couple of times...they were frozen when I bought them.  Came out fantastic.

Did some tails for Fathers Day. The Mrs. and my son both agreed best lobster tails ever.

GATABITES

Did you use any smoke for flavor, @nolaehead? 

nolaegghead

I think I threw in a tiny bit of fruit wood....I usually have cherry, apple and peach laying around, don't remember which.  Might be interesting with a little cedar.

blueinatl

With regards to the slow kill, with lobster's I've had the fishmonger kill them for me as where I get them is about 7 min from my house.  He always tells me, straight home and cook them and they work out just fine (need to try them on the egg!).

I wonder if there is something similar for the crab that you could do to do a quick kill then smoke...

TurtleCreek

blueinatl said:

I wonder if there is something similar for the crab that you could do to do a quick kill then smoke...

The video I saw had the crabs in an ice cold water bath.  Said it brought their metabolism down to about zero movement so when he removed the top shell, insides, and split the crab in half the crab had no reaction.