blue crabs - do you pick out the meat, or make sauce

[Jim in CT]

My only experience with blue crabs is using them to make amazing marinara sauce.

But we were in the Outer Banks last week, and I did a charter with my son and wife's family, we went out with a guy who shrimps and crabs, we brought almost 200 blue crabs back to the house, had them steamed locally (I saved some for sauce).

The folks who steamed them gave us a quick lesson on how to eat them, but I was amazed at how much work it is, for so little meat. The meat I got was terrific, almost as good as lobster in my opinion, but it took a few minutes of poking around to get less meat then I'd get in one claw of a lobster.

But it was very, very good. I haven't been crabbing in many years (I buy them at a local place when I want to make sauce), need to give it a try with my kids.

[MakoMike]

Any way you want to do it, They are delicious!

[spence]

Fresh dungeness crabs are the only ones worth picking yourself in my opinion. Not sure about CT but up here picked jonah crab is pretty available and worth the money if it's fresh...even if it's not as good as blue.

That being said, I don't even like eating whole lobster...what a mess. There should be people to do this for you.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

Fresh dungeness crabs are the only ones worth picking yourself in my opinion. Not sure about CT but up here picked jonah crab is pretty available and worth the money if it's fresh...even if it's not as good as blue.

That being said, I don't even like eating whole lobster...what a mess. There should be people to do this for you.

I've never had Dungeness, heard it's awesome.

I'd eat lobster all day long. Use heavy duty kitchen shears, cuts through claws and tails like nothing, makes it a snap and less messy.

[JohnR]

Get Blue Crabs when they've sluffed the shell and have a new soft shell, throw some butter on the pan, slap it between some good bread and voila... Soft Crab Sandwhiches

[Clammer]

I my late wife …...that was the [CROWN JEWEL} of all foods .

If I only caught one / I would cook it if she wasn,t home & it would be gone when she got home .if she was home . it was history .

True story ….….years ago when there was a huge set of bay scallops in the Salt ponds / the state sold commercial licenses for the 1st time in ???????? years …..……
I was shocked on out of nowhere came this hundreds of skiffs dredges out of no where ………
Me ,,I had gotten a few over the years by hand but I was clueless on this ...But I was real lucky …...my partner at the time / was the last of the 1/2 swamp yankees …….. there was a thing he didn,t know about hunting or fishing …………….. til then I had no idea he had 8 dredges …………. they had to be repaired from sitting / no worries ………… I was told My 20' Hawkline was the dredge boat . because or its high sides & 8' beam ///////////// he made a huge Cullen board /& we were set .
the season started some date in the fall with a 10 bushel per boat limit .
well needless to say ………… the old timers were on the trailers by 7am …………. 10 burlap bags is far more than ten bushels ……………………………….never in my life had I experienced something like this …...to cut this down ...we also had a by catch of undersized. quickly returned a few quahogs & depending on the day . some lobsters .&&&&&&&&&&&&& plenty of bluecrabs ………...I,ll never ever forget backing into the drive the 1st day & Sheila & the kids came running out to see our catch ...we told of our success & mentioned the crabs …………. GONE before we had the boat unhooked Sheila was in the kitchen ……………… if has digital camera,s back then .
Bullraking , clamming , crabbing with chicken necks of p#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g by net off the pilings / did a legal crab ever make it back to the sea .
I ain,t no saint , But its illegal to get them at night in RI ……...so go figure with RI .. the night time is the right time . even now I catch a few when green crabbing ..by catch goes home >>

In Conn .fishing is legal & Conn, stores have all set setup for night fishing ><<>

I know this went winded …….But It brought back a very happy time in [our] my life <><

spent a week around Newport Beach one July .but that another book .<.

[bassballer]

I got married in the outer banks and would crab off of the dock where we stayed. Those blue crabs are tasty! agree with a lot of work for little meat. To me eating crabs, crawfish, steamers, ect is a group thing. Sitting around a big bowl of crabs, drinking beer and BSing.

[PaulS]

Yes it's a lot of work for such little meat. But since you're taking the kids they'll enjoy catching them. I'd make crab cakes out of them with the kids. It's fun catching them on a chicken leg or chicken neck. You're not going to catch 200 at a time up in Connecticut.
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[spence]

Originally Posted by Clammer

I my late wife …...that was the [CROWN JEWEL} of all foods .

If I only caught one / I would cook it if she wasn,t home & it would be gone when she got home .if she was home . it was history .

True story ….….years ago when there was a huge set of bay scallops in the Salt ponds / the state sold commercial licenses for the 1st time in ???????? years …..……
I was shocked on out of nowhere came this hundreds of skiffs dredges out of no where ………
Me ,,I had gotten a few over the years by hand but I was clueless on this ...But I was real lucky …...my partner at the time / was the last of the 1/2 swamp yankees …….. there was a thing he didn,t know about hunting or fishing …………….. til then I had no idea he had 8 dredges …………. they had to be repaired from sitting / no worries ………… I was told My 20' Hawkline was the dredge boat . because or its high sides & 8' beam ///////////// he made a huge Cullen board /& we were set .
the season started some date in the fall with a 10 bushel per boat limit .
well needless to say ………… the old timers were on the trailers by 7am …………. 10 burlap bags is far more than ten bushels ……………………………….never in my life had I experienced something like this …...to cut this down ...we also had a by catch of undersized. quickly returned a few quahogs & depending on the day . some lobsters .&&&&&&&&&&&&& plenty of bluecrabs ………...I,ll never ever forget backing into the drive the 1st day & Sheila & the kids came running out to see our catch ...we told of our success & mentioned the crabs …………. GONE before we had the boat unhooked Sheila was in the kitchen ……………… if has digital camera,s back then .
Bullraking , clamming , crabbing with chicken necks of p#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g by net off the pilings / did a legal crab ever make it back to the sea .
I ain,t no saint , But its illegal to get them at night in RI ……...so go figure with RI .. the night time is the right time . even now I catch a few when green crabbing ..by catch goes home >>

In Conn .fishing is legal & Conn, stores have all set setup for night fishing ><<>

I know this went winded …….But It brought back a very happy time in [our] my life <><

spent a week around Newport Beach one July .but that another book .<.

I have no idea what you said but this could be the best post ever on this site.
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[Sea Dangles]

Eating crab is great, did it many years on vacation down in Va beach. I would be making sawdust out of the crabs while locals were getting big chunks. I would be thinner on a crab diet.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

I have no idea what you said but this could be the best post ever on this site.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I agree on both counts!!

I'm not sure I could read it, but for damn sure I felt it in my heart. It was the most human post I've read on this site, maybe on the Internet.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by PaulS

Yes it's a lot of work for such little meat. But since you're taking the kids they'll enjoy catching them. I'd make crab cakes out of them with the kids. It's fun catching them on a chicken leg or chicken neck. You're not going to catch 200 at a time up in Connecticut.
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No, we won't get 200. That was in about 25 pots. I mean, we averaged 10 keepers per pot, it was something to see, And he hauls his pots every day or two. It was very cool.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Clammer

I my late wife …...that was the [CROWN JEWEL} of all foods .

If I only caught one / I would cook it if she wasn,t home & it would be gone when she got home .if she was home . it was history .

True story ….….years ago when there was a huge set of bay scallops in the Salt ponds / the state sold commercial licenses for the 1st time in ???????? years …..……
I was shocked on out of nowhere came this hundreds of skiffs dredges out of no where ………
Me ,,I had gotten a few over the years by hand but I was clueless on this ...But I was real lucky …...my partner at the time / was the last of the 1/2 swamp yankees …….. there was a thing he didn,t know about hunting or fishing …………….. til then I had no idea he had 8 dredges …………. they had to be repaired from sitting / no worries ………… I was told My 20' Hawkline was the dredge boat . because or its high sides & 8' beam ///////////// he made a huge Cullen board /& we were set .
the season started some date in the fall with a 10 bushel per boat limit .
well needless to say ………… the old timers were on the trailers by 7am …………. 10 burlap bags is far more than ten bushels ……………………………….never in my life had I experienced something like this …...to cut this down ...we also had a by catch of undersized. quickly returned a few quahogs & depending on the day . some lobsters .&&&&&&&&&&&&& plenty of bluecrabs ………...I,ll never ever forget backing into the drive the 1st day & Sheila & the kids came running out to see our catch ...we told of our success & mentioned the crabs …………. GONE before we had the boat unhooked Sheila was in the kitchen ……………… if has digital camera,s back then .
Bullraking , clamming , crabbing with chicken necks of p#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g by net off the pilings / did a legal crab ever make it back to the sea .
I ain,t no saint , But its illegal to get them at night in RI ……...so go figure with RI .. the night time is the right time . even now I catch a few when green crabbing ..by catch goes home >>

In Conn .fishing is legal & Conn, stores have all set setup for night fishing ><<>

I know this went winded …….But It brought back a very happy time in [our] my life <><

spent a week around Newport Beach one July .but that another book .<.

Wasn't winded, was a great post.

Here in CT, I'd have no idea where to go, none. We camp a few weekends in South County between August and October, maybe I'll try some spots during the day. But I think maybe only RI residents can do it???

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Eating crab is great, did it many years on vacation down in Va beach. I would be making sawdust out of the crabs while locals were getting big chunks. I would be thinner on a crab diet.
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Agreed! When the locals showed me how to do it, they took piles of meat out of each crab. I got a thimble full out of each crab.

Very tasty though. And boy are they ornery!!

[Clammer]

Jim / check the Conn fishing laws ………………

then just to go barn island in Little Narragansett bay ,its on the conn. side ,

Yea I just reread it ………..guess I should have reread it & edited it ,,But it is what it is …………. lifes ups & downs for me gladly & sadly have many of them associated with the sea ><><

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by Clammer

Jim / check the Conn fishing laws ………………

then just to go barn island in Little Narragansett bay ,its on the conn. side ,

Yea I just reread it ………..guess I should have reread it & edited it ,,But it is what it is …………. lifes ups & downs for me gladly & sadly have many of them associated with the sea ><><

I miss the ritual of scalloping each falll and and eating the blues caught up in the drags..... sitting, sh#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g, beers, pot of blues steaming.....

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Clammer

Jim / check the Conn fishing laws ………………

then just to go barn island in Little Narragansett bay ,its on the conn. side ,

Yea I just reread it ………..guess I should have reread it & edited it ,,But it is what it is …………. lifes ups & downs for me gladly & sadly have many of them associated with the sea ><><

Sorry for your downs clammer. I've had two or three, I like to think it helps me to better appreciate the ups. And almost everything in my life that has happened that matters, involves the ocean in some way...

[Billybob]

Yeah, out of staters aren't supposed to blue crab in Rhody.
Jim, any of the channels that run off the Ct River will yield blue crabs.
I like making a sauce with them too, but I still have to pick them.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

I have so many fond memories of crabbing with my grandfather and aunt and uncle in old Lyme when I was younger. I did all the work and loves it. Usually we would end up with a dozen or so. I was always the crab picker. We made crab imperial , cakes and crab salad. As I got older I appreciated it more when I would be out on the deck with a 6 pack picking away. Last year I roll my girlfriend and step daughter to the dock where I grabbed as a kid, great stroll down memory lane. Only got 4 4 and threw them back, went to Lenny and joes for lunch instead of picking crab.
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[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Get Blue Crabs when they've sluffed the shell and have a new soft shell, throw some butter on the pan, slap it between some good bread and voila... Soft Crab Sandwhiches

You have to clean out the gills first!

[zimmy]

Tossing a blue crab without picking the meat is unfathomable to me. With practice you will be able to clean one in a few minutes. I didn't even know anyone considered it until I ended up in New England. It is probably criminal in Maryland. To me it is far better meat than a lobster and not many people would think to cook a lobster and toss it without eating the meat. You can probably find some good videos on YouTube.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by zimmy

Tossing a blue crab without picking the meat is unfathomable to me. With practice you will be able to clean one in a few minutes. I didn't even know anyone considered it until I ended up in New England. It is probably criminal in Maryland. To me it is far better meat than a lobster and not many people would think to cook a lobster and toss it without eating the meat. You can probably find some good videos on YouTube.
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I agree they'd lock you up in MD. I just made some sauce tonight, and the crabs lose all of the flavor into the sauce. When I took the crabs out I tried to get the meat, but it was very bland tasting. But the sauce was amazing.

In the outer banks, we stopped at a restaurant where a dozen steamed crabs was $50. Then when we went on a boat, we got 200 in 90 minutes of hauling in his pots. It was a LOT of fun, especially for my son.

[zimmy]

Interesting... I never had sauce made that way, but I imagine it is excellent.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by zimmy

Interesting... I never had sauce made that way, but I imagine it is excellent.
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i always thought that was all people did with them. could not be easier. after crabs are killed and cleaned out, cut in half, rip off the large claws, throw all pieces in a pot of sauce, simmer on low for three hours, remove all the shells from sauce, serve over spaghetti. very good. gives the sauce a distinct, sweet, briny flavor. most people live it. unusually use 3-5 crabs for a pot of sauce that might make 6-10 servings.
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[zimmy]

I don't know that I will ever have such a surplus of crabs that I will be willing to sacrifice some to sauce, but maybe if it only takes 3 or so. To me nothing beats sitting around with a couple of pilsners picking and eating or a crab cake with fresh picked crab. Gonna have to put in some extra time for a bigger pile I guess.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by zimmy

I don't know that I will ever have such a surplus of crabs that I will be willing to sacrifice some to sauce, but maybe if it only takes 3 or so. To me nothing beats sitting around with a couple of pilsners picking and eating or a crab cake with fresh picked crab. Gonna have to put in some extra time for a bigger pile I guess.

how do you get them, chicken wings on a string?

I don't really know where to get them around here, so when I want to make sauce, there's a seafood market in my town that sells them frozen, and the sauce is still great. but I started with live crabs when I was in NC, and the sauce was noticeably better.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

how do you get them, chicken wings on a string?

I don't really know where to get them around here, so when I want to make sauce, there's a seafood market in my town that sells them frozen, and the sauce is still great. but I started with live crabs when I was in NC, and the sauce was noticeably better.

I have only tried frozen blue crab once and the meat was hardly worth eating. That may explain why you found it flavorless regardless of cooking it in sauce for hours.

Most estuarine areas of the sound should have them. Rivers and coves on the CT River from Essex south are hotspots, though I think the males move farther up river late season so haddam may be worth a shot too. Any river or creek near the sound is worth a shot. I have caught or know people who catch them I.Norwalk, Westport, Milford... pretty much all the way to barn island in Stonington.

CT laws are different than down south so check them out before going. When I go with my kids, we will typically drop a couple of drop sided traps off the boat, then set up handlines off the cleats. We use bunker, but chicken necks are excellent if you have a market or grocery that carries them. Ask at the meat counter.

Another favorite way (not as good with younger kids who can't stay up late) is to scape (aka scoop them with a net.) From land you can walk a marsh, creek, or grass bed at night with a bright headlight and a long handled net and scoop them. There is challenge to it, but it is fun. If you have a boat that can go in shallows, you can do the same thing while floating the edges of a creek, marsh, or the outlet of a cove. In the boat we use a handle held rechargeable spotlight.
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