126150 Mon Jul 15 13:26:45 -0700 2002 14 9 New Orleans 0 684622 Not much of a dining report, but I just want to report that I purchased a dozen boiled crabs from Dennie's in Bucktown Thursday, a dozen from the place across the street Friday and a half dozen from the place down the block from them Saturday. Each had a different type of seasoning and all three were very good, but the point is, everyone of the crabs from any of the three were without a doubt, the fattest, fullest crabs I have experienced over my livetime. Each crab was so full and fat that you would think it was impossible to have so much meat in it. This must be one of the best years in memory for Lake Pontchtrain crabs. Any comments? _ Thank you. Mon Jul 15 13:26:45 -0700 2002 0 Richard Bellue 1 684623 "Fatness" of crabs depends on a couple of factors, including weather, moon phase, and molting cycle. Crabs are fuller in warm weather, and on certain phases of the moon (can't remember whether it's waxing or waning). Most important is molting cycle...a crab that's just molted (just recently shed it's shell) is often "empty". It can't feed while it's a softshell, so it uses up its fat reserves while it is shedding and hardening. Thus, a buster crab, aka a peeler crab, is often the fattest crab. BUT, these crabs are known as "red-lines"--the crab displays a thin red line on the fin of the last leg. Crab buyers pay significantly more per crab for "red lines", because the buyer can sell these ready-to-molt crabs to a softshell crab processor. The softshell processor will hold the redline 'til it molts, then sells it at a huge markup. Given enough crabs (like the amount purchased at your average crab peeling factory in a day), you can almost always cull out some fat crabs (even during the winter). I had a crab-boil at my house back in April, and a friend in the seafood business picked through approx. 1500 pounds to get 4 dozen fat ones. In the heat of summer, you'll get a higher ratio of fat crabs. When looking at raw crabs, you can tell if they're full or fat. Look for a yellowish cast to the underside of the shell, with well-developed grooves. A nice ivory color tells you that the crab is storing up fat for its next shedding. Avoid crabs that are bluish-white with very smooth undersides (the look of a freshly molted, skinny crab). Mon Jul 15 14:49:26 -0700 2002 684622 0 Hungry Celeste 2 684638 Thank you. That was quite detailed. I do plan on purchasing some live ones from a boat in Bucktown and will look out for what you mentioned. What is necessary to allow a crab to become soft if attempted at home with limited equiptment? Thank you again. Tue Jul 16 13:03:25 -0700 2002 684623 0 Richard Bellue 3 684640 Hmmm...homemade softshells? If you live near a body of fresh or brackish water, it's pretty easy, but it does require frequent monitoring. You'll need a floating frame made of chickenwire (the same material that crab traps are made of). You fashion a shallow (6--12 inches) rectangular tray, and attach some sort of flotation devices to it (foam, etc.) Tie a rope to the floating tray, toss it off of your boat dock. Add your buster crabs. You don't want to crowd the tray, 'cause the hard crabs will EAT the new softshells if conditions are tight. You'll have to check on the crabs regularly...every few hours. If you don't remove them promptly after they shed their shells, the crabs will harden (within two hours). If you don't live near a body of water, you can't really do this at home. Crustaceans are a pain to manage in an aquarium setting unless you have serious water volume and are extremely dedicated to monitoring water quality (4-6 times daily in a 1,000 gallon system). Tue Jul 16 14:33:36 -0700 2002 684638 0 Hungry Celeste 4 684641 What I had in mind was a friend's camp at Lake Catheran. But if it has to be monitored every 2 hours, then that is not going to work out. Guess I'll just keep going to Bucktown. Thank you again. Tue Jul 16 16:01:18 -0700 2002 684640 0 Richard Bellue 5 684642 Off the dock at the Lake Catherine camp sounds like a great place. Maybe if you're out there for a couple of days you could try it out. Also, investigate the "neighbors" in LC....you might discover a tank-based softshell processor or someone doing dockside production in a small way. These operations are often very seasonal and mom-n-pop--the kind of thing a crab fisherman or crab processor does on the side to make a little extra scratch. Tue Jul 16 16:53:01 -0700 2002 684641 0 Hungry Celeste 6 684645 I think there is a place called Rockie"s that does that. It would be interesting for someone like myself that has never done it, but would probably take up more time then I would care to use. I do crab occasionally in the Lake with 3 traps and down at Grand Isle, which also has nice crabs. But, as I said, I have never had as many full and fat crabs as the ones I purchased last week. Either caught or bought. However, now that I know what to look for on the live crabs, I may just keep those that meet the specifications you explained. I hate to trouble you for another answer, but do you find there is much difference between the large and the medium size crabs. It seems that there is almost as much meat in the medium as the large. What would you call a large crab? Thank you again. Wed Jul 17 13:39:49 -0700 2002 684642 0 Richard Bellue 7 684646 I think you're right on the money regarding medium and large crabs. You'll pay quite a bit more for big ones (#1s or jumbos), but the amount of meat contained in a crab is more important than its overall size. In really big male crabs, much of the weight (if you are buying by weight) is found in the claws. Big ones are nice if you are eating only one or two at seafood restaurants, but I don't think they're particularly worth the price when cooking up a batch of crabs at home. Here's my crab-cooking tip: don't boil them with any salt. Lemons, onions, etc. are fine, but no salt. Unsalted crabs taste "sweet" and clean. Try it out and let me know what you think. Wed Jul 17 14:45:14 -0700 2002 684645 0 Hungry Celeste 8 684649 Growing up in Jersey during the 50's Blue Crabs were always a treat "down the shore" Nobody knew about spices then and there, and were usually served with drawn buttter (like lobster) or with lemon. In later years I remember people putting a table spoon on vinegar in with the boiling water “to soften the shells,” but that than seems like an old wives’ tale to me. Do we start the debate which is better? Boiled, or steamed Chesapeake style? I’ll vote for the steamed, less chance of mushy meat. Wed Jul 17 17:27:15 -0700 2002 684646 0 NJ-Nola 9 684650 Aw, now. I'll have to stand up for the boiled ones. Steamed is fine if you want to peel 'em and use the crabmeat for higher purposes, but if you're chowing down on pure-d-crabs, you've gotta "berl" 'em for best flavor. How else will the cayenne pepper penetrate the shells? Properly boiled, the meat will NEVER be mushy. Put your crabs into a pot of cold water (to prevent the claws from falling off), bring to a boil, then keep at a nice rolling boil for 20 minutes. If your crabs are small, less time will do. After 20 minutes, fish one out of the pot and try a claw. You don't want to overcook them or the claws won't separate cleanly. You can add quartered onions, halved heads of garlic, cut up lemons, new potatoes, and whatever else strikes your fancy. Wed Jul 17 17:38:05 -0700 2002 684649 0 Hungry Celeste 10 684653 Do I understand it that the crabs are placed in cold water and then boiled? I always boil the water then dump in the crabs. Also, I agree about not using salt. I discovered that a whil back. Thank you. Thu Jul 18 08:30:55 -0700 2002 684650 0 Richard Bellue 11 684677 Yes, yes: cold water. Keeps the claws from falling off. If you toss live crabs into hot water, they'll thrash around & knock off all their claws. Put the crabs and seasonings (if any) into water (whatever temp comes out of the tap---doesn't have to be "cold"), add the crabs, put the lid on, bring to a boil, then time 'em. Will take 20 minutes or less, depending on the size of crabs, number of 'em in the pot, amount of other stuff in the water, etc. If you're doing a mixed boil (potatoes, corn, etc.), you can parboil the potatoes a bit--you definitely don't want to overcook your crabs while waiting for your potatoes to be done. And I like my corn on the cob to "snap", so I generally put the crabs on, then add the corn after 10 minutes or so. Please don't use frozen corn, it isn't worth the trouble. Wed Jul 24 17:30:33 -0700 2002 684653 0 Hungry Celeste 12 684680 Thank you . Will try it next week with a hamper of Grand Isle crabs. Thu Jul 25 09:42:06 -0700 2002 684677 0 richard bellue 10 684654 Will follow your advice next time. Chesapeake steamed crabs are usually layered with seafood spice - usually OLD BAY. Come out more than a tad salty so you have to drink plenty of water after the beer that you washed the crabs with. The most unique (and delicious) crabs I had in the region was back around 1980 at a place called “The Marylander.” This was just outside the main gate of Aberdeen Proving Grounds, on military property, so the MPs would pass through. Outside table with a canopy, and crabs and beer available in a literal shack (but real clean and GI). The most interesting thing was how they steamed them - They had several 55 gallon stainless steel US Navy coffee urns - turnip shaped. They layered the crabs on a screen with pounds of Old Bay. At the bottom of the urn was a live steam live - put ‘em in, cover, and let her rip. I can still taste them..... Thu Jul 18 11:39:46 -0700 2002 684650 0 NJ-NOLA 11 684655 Once I boiled a couple of dozen crabs just in water. Then I picked them for my wife to make a crab dip. Anyway, after a sufficient amount of meat was picked, there were 2 crabs left over and no more meat was need for the dip. So, I decided to just pick them and maybe eat them with a little sauce. Before I dipped into the sauce I tasted a claw and was surprised at the natural flavor of just the crab without any type of seasoning. I finished the 2 crabs without using the sauce. A couple of times over the years, I boiled 1 or 2 that way and each time enjoyed them. I would not like a dozen prepared like that but one every now and then is a pleasant departure. Thank you. Thu Jul 18 12:52:16 -0700 2002 684654 0 Richard Bellue