Ella Walter
Cooking crab can be intimidating, but it's actually quite easy. There are several ways to cook crab, including boiling, steaming, baking, broiling, and grilling. Boiling is a good option if you want to add seasoning to the water to flavour the crab. If you're cooking a large number of crabs, steaming may be a better option. Before cooking, it's important to clean the crab and remove its top shell. When boiling, it's recommended to cook the crab for 12 minutes on high heat to avoid overcooking. After cooking, the crab can be enjoyed cold or warmed up in the oven, microwave, or hot water.
How to cook crab in a pot
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of crab | Dungeness, Rock Crab, Red Rock Crab, Brown Box Crab |
| Amount of crabs | 2-3 crabs |
| Pot size | 8-quart pot, 10" pot, 20-quart stock pot |
| Pot material | Aluminum |
| Water amount | Half-filled pot |
| Additives to water | Salt, Old Bay Seasoning, Bay leaves, Black peppercorns, Paprika |
| Cooking time | 12-20 minutes |
| Cooling method | Ice bath, Bowl of ice water, Room temperature |
| Cooling time | 1 minute, 10 minutes, 15-30 minutes, 20 minutes |
| Cleaning process | Remove top shell, Remove triangular section, Remove gills, Remove legs, Remove meat |
| Serving suggestions | Melted butter, Lemon wedges, Garlic, Harissa powder, Crab dip, Crab salad, Crab-stuffed salmon, Crab-stuffed mushrooms |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the crab for cooking
Preparing crab for cooking involves a few important steps to ensure the meat is fresh and safe to eat. Firstly, it is recommended to cook crabs as soon as they are caught, as the meat can start to decay once the crab is dead. If you are cooking live crabs, it is more humane to numb them by placing them in the freezer for about 15 minutes before cooking. This also makes it easier to handle them when placing them in the pot.
When preparing the cooking pot, you will need a large stock pot, preferably large enough to fit the crab or crabs you intend to cook. The pot should be filled about halfway with water and brought to a rolling boil. Some recipes suggest adding salt to the water, and others recommend adding seasonings such as Old Bay Seasoning, sea salt, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and paprika to flavour the crab as it cooks.
If you are cooking multiple crabs, it is best to cook them one at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Using tongs, grab the crab from behind to avoid getting pinched, and lower it into the boiling water, legs first. The amount of time needed to cook the crab will depend on its size, with most sources recommending around 12-15 minutes of boiling. Smaller crabs may only need 4-5 minutes, while larger crabs may need up to 20 minutes. You will know the crab is done when it floats to the top of the pot, at which point you should give it an extra 2-3 minutes.
Once the crab is cooked, remove it from the pot and place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Allow the crab to cool for at least 10 minutes before handling and cleaning it.
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Boiling the crab
Boiling is one of the easiest ways to cook crab. It is also a great way to add seasoning to the water to flavour the crab. Here is a step-by-step guide to boiling crabs:
First, you need to prepare the crabs for cooking. Place the crabs in the freezer for about 15 minutes to numb them. This step is more humane and makes it easier to place them in the pot as they won't be moving around as much. While the crabs are in the freezer, you can prepare the water. Fill your largest stock pot with water and add a generous amount of salt. You can also add other seasonings such as bay leaves, black peppercorns, and paprika. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
Next, remove the crabs from the freezer and use tongs to grab them from behind to avoid getting pinched. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to cook the crabs one at a time. Carefully lower each crab into the boiling water, legs first. Cover the pot with a lid and boil for about 12-20 minutes, depending on the size of the crab. You can tell the crabs are done when they float to the top; give them an extra 2-3 minutes after that.
Once the crabs are cooked, remove them from the pot and place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let the crabs cool for a few minutes before cleaning and serving. To clean the crabs, start by removing the top shell. Flip the crab over and locate the triangular section of the shell running down the centre; pull this piece up and backward to remove it. Flip the crab again and remove the gills along the sides. You can now twist off the legs, which can be cracked by hand or with a mallet for harder pieces like the claws. Finally, serve the crab with melted butter, lemon wedges, or your favourite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Note: The size of the pot and the number of crabs you can cook at once may vary. A 20-quart stock pot is typically suitable for cooking 2-3 whole crabs. If you are cooking a larger number of crabs, it is recommended to use a larger pot outdoors.
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Steaming the crab
Steaming is an excellent way to cook crab, especially if you have a large number of crabs to cook. It is also a good option if you are cooking rock crabs, as they don't taste as good when boiled. Here is a step-by-step guide to steaming crabs:
Step 1: Prepare the crabs
Place the live crabs in your freezer for about 15 minutes before cooking. This step is optional but recommended, as it numbs the crabs, making it easier to handle them and preventing them from moving around too much when you put them in the pot.
Step 2: Set up your steaming equipment
You will need a large pot with a lid for steaming. The pot should be large enough to accommodate the number of crabs you plan to cook. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can use a heat-safe colander that fits inside your pot and has feet to stand above the water. Fill the pot with enough water so that your steamer basket or colander won't be submerged.
Step 3: Season the water
Bring the water to a boil and add your desired seasonings. You can heavily salt the water, or get creative with other seasonings like Old Bay Seasoning, black peppercorns, bay leaves, or paprika.
Step 4: Steam the crabs
Using tongs, carefully lower each crab into the pot, with the legs facing down. Depending on the size of your pot and crabs, you may need to cook them one at a time. Cover the pot with a lid to contain the steam. Allow the crabs to steam for approximately 15 minutes, or until they float to the top. Give them an extra 2-3 minutes after they float.
Step 5: Prepare an ice bath
While the crabs are steaming, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and ice. This will be used to stop the cooking process and cool the crabs after they are done.
Step 6: Cool the crabs
Once the crabs are cooked, remove them from the pot and briefly plunge them into the ice bath. Let them cool for a few minutes before handling and cleaning them.
Step 7: Clean and serve the crabs
The cleaning process involves removing the top shell, flipping the crab, and pulling out the guts and gills. You can then crack the legs and claws to remove the meat. Serve the crab meat with melted butter, lemon wedges, or your favourite sauces and sides. Enjoy!
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Cleaning the crab
Cleaning a crab can be a messy affair, so it's a good idea to prep your station before you begin. You will need a cutting board, a bowl for shellfish scraps, a trash bowl, and a bowl for the crab meat. You will also need kitchen shears and an oyster shucker (or a small knife) to help pick the meat out.
To clean the crab, begin by removing the top shell. You can do this by locating the grooves near the rear legs and pulling up on the shell. Next, flip the crab over and locate the long, almost triangular section of shell running partway down the centre. Pull that piece up and backwards to remove it.
Now, flip the crab again and remove the gills that run along the sides with your hands. Unless you plan on eating the "crab butter" (the mushy yellow stuff in the cavity), wash it away along with the intestines.
The legs should easily twist off and, in most cases, can be cracked by hand. For harder pieces, such as the claws, use a mallet to crack them. You may want to wrap them in a tea towel first to cut down on the mess.
Once the legs are broken at the joints into smaller sections, remove the meat from the inside. Use an oyster shucker to get into the legs and pull out the meat. If the section is too small to do this, cut the leg with kitchen shears to break it open, and then remove the meat.
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Serving the crab
Once the crab is cooked, it is important to let it cool before serving. Place the crab in an ice bath for a few minutes to stop the cooking process, and then leave it to cool for around 15 to 30 minutes.
You can serve crab hot or cold. If you want to serve it hot, you can warm it in the oven, microwave, or in hot water. If you're serving crab legs, you can grill them, flipping once, until they are warm in the centre and lightly browned.
To serve, you will need to deconstruct the crab. First, remove the top shell by locating the grooves near the rear legs and pulling up on the shell. Then, flip the crab over and locate the long, triangular section of shell running down the centre; pull this piece up and backwards to remove it. Next, flip the crab again and remove the gills that run along the sides. You can choose to keep or discard the "crab butter" (the yellow mushy stuff in the cavity). Wash it away if you don't want to eat it, or keep it and eat with the rest of the crab meat.
The legs can be removed by twisting them, and they can usually be cracked by hand. For harder pieces, like the claws, use a mallet or a pair of kitchen shears. You can serve the crab legs with melted butter, or you can make a sauce by combining butter, lemon juice, and garlic. You can also serve the crab meat with sides such as roasted corn, pesto salad, or potato salad.
If you don't want to eat the crab right away, you can store it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. You can also freeze crab for up to 8-9 months.
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Frequently asked questions
It takes between 7 to 20 minutes to cook crab in a pot, depending on the size of the crab and the cooking method.
There are a few ways to cook crab in a pot, including boiling, steaming, and grilling. Boiling is a good option if you want to add seasonings to the water, while steaming is better if you have a large number of crabs to cook.
You will need a large pot, such as a stock pot, that is big enough to fit the crab or crabs you are cooking. For example, a 20-quart stock pot is typically large enough to cook 2-3 whole crabs.
Before cooking, you should clean the crabs by removing the top shell, gills, and intestines. You can also cut the crabs in half to make them fit in the pot. Some people also recommend freezing the crabs for 15 minutes before cooking to numb them, which makes it easier to handle them and prevents them from decaying during cooking.
The crab is done cooking when it floats to the top of the pot. Give it an extra 2-3 minutes before removing it from the heat.
