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Live Blue Crabs? Advice needed, please..

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MaskedMarvel
MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
in EggHead Forum

Greetings friends,


a friend here has a friend who just showed up with a Bushel Of live blue crabs. They leave to go camping in the morning soooo....


I get the steamer idea. We need to keep them alive.


Can you bge a live blue crab? What’s my plan?


cheers

8-D

Large BGE and Medium BGE
36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • Lowcountrygamecock
    Lowcountrygamecock Posts: 416
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    We always steam them in a big pot on the stove top. Left them unattended one time and came back to find several crawling around the kitchen of the rental beach house we were staying in. That was fun.

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Kiill them bastards and eat em quick!

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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Grilled blue crab once, many moons moons ago. I recall that it turned out well.

    Keep them on ice, so they stay sleepy. Get the egg grilling hot. Season with Old Bay, throw them on shell down, add pats of butter on the top side. Shouldn't take long. Maybe less than 10 mins on a hot grill? Pull and cover so they finish cooking as they rest.

    No one way to do them.


    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
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    We eat a lot at the boat because we can walk the docks and catch them.

    As stated above, keep on ice, and out of the water to keep them cold But alive. We always boil in a pot of boiling water loaded with old bay seasoning. Personally, I would never put a live crab on on the grill. At least pop off the back shell to kill quickly then put on the grill if you are not going to steam or boil. In fact, I usually pop all the back shells off before boiling. It is a lot cleaner. I know many eat the “mustard” of blue claws (the soft guts) but that is not for me.

    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
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    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/comment/2426288#Comment_2426288

    I couldn’t bear to pop the shells of living crabs.

    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Boil them.

    Old Bay is like Old Spice to New Orleans folks....too much celery flavor. Find some Zatarans boil spice.

    Dump in boiling water, bring to a boil and immediately shut off heat. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes to pick up the salt and spice. If you have a way to cool down the water (hose on outside of pot) that helps to keep meat from over cooking.

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • KiterTodd
    KiterTodd Posts: 2,466
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    Likely too late now, but I have grilled crabs before and they were very good, but you have to clean them first (rip the top shells off live and squirt off the guts with a hose). Then you have nothing but shell and meat. You can cover them with garlic, spices, and whatever you like. Cook over medium heat and they get a nice flavor from the grill that is difference from traditional steaming. Don't overcook 'em!

    You can also cook cleaned crabs by sauteeing them in a big pot with garlic and olive oil (and whatever spices). Keep doing them in small batches and when all the crabs are gone, throw some cooked pasta in the pot with all the remains and you get a really flavorful pasta that has some crab goodness along with the rest.

    Note, the crabs do not like when you rip their shells off live. I recommend doing this in an assembly line of three people with beer. One guy rips the shell off, the second guy pulls off whatever lungs/remnants are hanging on, the third guy hits it the with hose and tosses the cleaned crab into a cooler.

    That said, I usually just steam them with a generous helping of Old Bay. Less work.

    LBGE/Maryland
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  • Chief9
    Chief9 Posts: 141
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    Ive never boiled crabs, we steam them most weeks in season though

    Carrollton, Va
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    They got steamed. Cleaned them up and they’re ready for crab omelettes. Or whatever.


    Thanks everyone!!

    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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