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 Blue Crab Recipes
Maryland Blue Crab
This Chesapeake Bay crustacean is probably the most enduring symbol of Maryland.
Mature blue crabs average five to seven inches
across. They are most plentiful late spring
through late fall, although crab meat is available in many forms year round. The blue crab
is best described by its scientific name,
Callinectes sapidus, which means beautiful
swimmer that is savory.
• Buy Maryland Blue Crabs
• Order Steamed Hard Crabs
In Maryland, the crab season begins April
1 and runs through late fall. To be legal size,
hard crabs must be 5 inches from point to
point while soft crabs must be 3 1/2 inches.
Live crabs may be purchased by the dozen
or by the bushel. Usually the crabs are graded
by size. Be sure to purchase live crabs with a
lot of movement. Cook only live crabs. They
should be cooked the same day they were
purchased. Live and cooked crabs should not
come in contact with each other or be stored in
the same container. This is to prevent cross
contamination from bacteria normally found
on raw food products. Proper cooking kills the
bacteria.
The classic cooking method is to steam
blue crabs with seasonings and serve them
whole. Hard shell blue crabs can also be used
in soups or sauces. Steamed crabs
may be kept in the refrigerator 5-7 days. Store
in an airtight plastic bag.
Maryland produces the
finest crab meat available. It is
made from the famous blue
crab, the "savory beautiful
swimmer," Callinectes sapidus,
and has a rich, sweet succulent
flavor. The body meat is delicate and firm and the claw meat
is nutty.
The blue crab exists from Cape Cod to South
America but is in greatest numbers from Maryland through Texas. Crab meat from foreign
countries (other than Mexico and South
America) comes from a different species of crab.
In Maryland, crab meat
must be steamed rather than boiled. This results
in better tasting crab meat that has a longer shelf
life and contains less water weight thus giving the
consumer more crab per pound.
Crab meat processing plants steam crabs that
are purchased directly from the watermen and are
placed into containers that are sold to restaurants
and stores. Fresh crab meat is packaged in plastic
containers and should be stored on ice or in the
coolest part of your refrigerator and used within
three to five days.
Maryland Blue Crab is packed in containers
as fresh or pasteurized and is available in the
following forms:
• JUMBO LUMP
The largest pieces of meat from the body
portion adjacent to the backfin. This is
preferable in recipes where appearance is
important. Delicious in crab imperial and
crab salad.
• BACKFIN
The white body meat consisting of lump and
flakes. Pieces are smaller than jumbo lump
but can be used in the same recipes as lump.
Great for quiche, crab cakes and as a stuffing
for fish and poultry.
• SPECIAL
Flakes of white body meat other than the
lump meat from the main body of the crab.
Wonderful for crab soups, casseroles and dips.
• CLAW MEAT
Brownish meat from the claw that has a
nutty, sweet flavor. Quite flavorful for soups,
crab balls and claw-burgers. Claw meat can be either hand or machine-picked. Machine
picked pieces are smaller and have a salty taste
due to the processing. Best for soups and dips,
it is the least expensive crab meat.
• COCKTAIL CLAW
The claw meat is attached to a section of the
pincher. Ideal as an appetizer, delectable dipped
in melted butter.
http://www.marylandseafood.org
• Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Portunidae
Genus: Callinectes
Species: C. sapidus
Also see:
• Soft Shell blue crabs
• Crab Cobb Salad
• Maryland Blue Crab Cake Panini
• Pan fried soft shell blue crabs
• Maryland Blue Crab File Okra Gumbo |
