Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Crab

There's really nothing quite like biting into a sweet, juicy, tender piece of crab meat dipped in butter. It's a delicacy typically reserved for crab aficionados, fine-dining restaurants, or coastal dwellers with access to a fresh fish market or a crab catcher. The delicate crustacean can be an intimidating dish for a novice home chef to tackle, and there are many mistakes even the master chef may be guilty of making with crab.

Do you know why baking crab isn't the best method? Have you thought about steaming your crab legs in something other than plain water? A lot of tricks exist in the crab cooking trade, but that's not to say it isn't worth having a crack at it.

Before you head to your grocery store butcher or market to buy a bundle of crab legs, give our list of mistakes everyone makes when cooking crab a read so you can avoid some common pitfalls and make the most of your crab cooking experience.

Read more: Ingredients To Take Your Scrambled Eggs To The Next Level

Not Choosing The Best Quality Crab

When it comes to selecting seafood, choosing high quality and sustainably sourced fish and shellfish is key to maximizing the experience for your taste buds. While it may be daunting to know which crab legs were clipped from a high-quality crustacean and which ones are just your run-of-the-mill legs, there are a few simple rules and tricks to help you make your selection.

Not everyone has access to coastal fish markets with fresh, live seafood, but if you are fortunate enough to reside near one of the country's crab fishing ports, our advice is to always opt for live crab. It's going to be the freshest choice, and it usually means you'll know exactly where it comes from.

If you are an inlander without a crab catcher connection and you're shopping for crab legs for your next feast, the first step is to use a few of your senses like smell, sight, and touch. Although fish does come from the ocean and will usually have a slight scent to it, crab should not smell overly fishy or sour. There shouldn't be any darkening or discoloration on the crag legs, and the meat should look fresh and firm, not dry and mushy.

Not Knowing The Difference Between Types Of Crab

Whether you're eating crab cakes, crab legs, or a California roll, the type of crab you're consuming widely varies in type, size, and flavor, and it's important to note the distinctions before you throw good money toward your own crab feast.

While there are over 4,000 species of crabs in the ocean, only about a dozen are edible, the most popular types being Blue crab, Dungeness crab, Snow crab, and King crab. The meat from these crabs ranges from slightly sweet to really sweet, and it all has a similar texture. But the crabs themselves vary in size, with Blue crab typically being the smallest and King crab being the largest. Maryland Blue crab is most commonly used in crab cakes, while Dungeness crab and King crab are often showcased by themselves as their meat is worthy of standing alone.

One of the more rare types of crab is the Peekytoe crab, also known as a rock or sand crab. It's found in the rocky shoreline of the Northeastern U.S. The Florida stone crab, Horsehair crab, and Japanese spider crab are some of the other less common, but edible types of crab.

Not Checking For Signs The Crab Has Gone Bad Before Buying It

Shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, and crab are highly nutritious, containing essential omega-3 fatty acids and high levels of protein, but the nutritional benefits will not be worth the stomach pains in the event your crab meat has already started to go bad.

In order to avoid purchasing poor quality crab meat, the first tip is to make sure the meat is properly refrigerated or frozen. If you're buying crab meat from a seafood market, the meat should be packed on ice in an enclosed case. If the crab has a strong fishy odor or any discoloration, it's taking a turn for the worst. The flesh of the crab should be bright white with almost a pink tone, and although most things from the ocean are slimy, the texture of the crab should not contain any slime.

If you're buying live crab, make sure the crab is still alive by examining the legs for movement. A dead crab will start to go bad very quickly and is highly susceptible to bacteria.

Ignoring Food Safety When Handling Crab

Food safety is important when handling just about anything that is edible, and it especially applies to meat, poultry, and seafood products as they may contain harmful bacteria and germs. Shellfish such as crab is known to spoil rather quickly, so it's important to take every precaution to avoid becoming ill.

If you're handling a live crab that you just caught or purchased from a fisherman or grocery store, make sure the salt water stays cool and has proper air circulation. You don't want to put the live crab on ice, but you do want to maintain a low temperature by storing the crab in a cooler or temperature-controlled container. A live crab can stay fresh like this for no more than a day or two. When handling frozen crab, be sure not to thaw and then refreeze the meat to avoid contamination. For frozen crab, it's best to consume it as soon as you thaw it. If you've purchased fresh crab meat, it can last in the refrigerator for three to five days.

For added safety, always be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw crab meat, and make sure that you sanitize all surfaces that have been in contact with the crab.

Not Thawing Crab Before Cooking It

When it comes to buying seafood, flash frozen crab may be the best and most viable option in terms of freshness and food safety. This method involves seafood frozen at the peak of freshness; therefore, it is not as susceptible to food-borne bacteria. The only risk in choosing frozen crab is ensuring the proper thawing process.

There are a few common mistakes people make when thawing seafood, including leaving it out on the counter rather than in the refrigerator to thaw. Thawing any frozen food item at room temperature leaves it susceptible to germs and bacteria. Another mistake is thawing frozen seafood in warm water. That's never a good idea. Thawing seafood with cool water is an acceptable method, but you have to keep the water cool, change it regularly, and ensure all of the crab stays underwater so it thaws evenly. Another major blunder in thawing seafood is using the microwave. When you've splurged on a delicacy like crab legs, it's best not to ruin it by zapping it with electromagnetic radiation and destroying the texture and flavor of your crab.

The safest and most highly recommended way to thaw frozen crab legs is in the refrigerator overnight. If the crab legs are packaged in a vacuum-sealed wrapper, it's crucial to remove that wrapper and place the crab meat in a new, sealed bag to thaw.

Not Marinating Crab

While crab does shine on its own and doesn't necessarily need a marinade, using one to add more flavor to your crab may impress your taste buds and your guests. The standard go-to accompaniment with crab is melted butter on the side, but there are more creative ways to compliment crab as well as enhance the cooking method you're using.

In order to avoid the common mistake of drying out your crab during the cooking process, oil-based marinades will yield the best results. They not only enrich the naturally sweet flavor of crab by locking in moisture, but they also prevent the crab from burning.

Citrus and herbs are also great additions to an oil-based marinade for crab, and they can help to boost the flavor of the shellfish. If you're new to cooking with crab, the best way to play around with herbs and citrus is to draw inspiration from other seafood dishes. For example, dill, cilantro, and parsley tend to pair well with shrimp or salmon and would likely work well with crab. Lemon and dill are an unbeatable combination, and lime with cilantro is a perfect way to pair your crab with other Mexican-inspired dishes or flavors.

Not Steaming Crab

When it comes to cooking fresh, live, or frozen crab legs, the go-to method of choice is always going to be steaming the crab. While the grill, oven, or frying pan are also viable methods, steaming crab will yield the most tender and flavorful results.

The best way to cook crabs is to add them to a steamer rather than placing them directly in a pot of water. You'll also want to bring the water to a boil before you place the crab in the steamer basket to give you more control over the temperature and length of time you're cooking the crab. The steamer method also yields the best results because it pretty much guarantees you will neither overcook or undercook your crab legs -- it ensures they are cooked perfectly every time.

While you can steam crab legs in plain or salted water, adding more flavor to your steamed crab legs will take your crab game to the next level. Using an aromatic broth in your pot with ingredients like garlic, shallots, white wine, and tarragon will give your crab legs a subtle, savory, and delicious restaurant-quality flavor.

Cooking Only Hard Shell Crabs

When you think of a crab leg feast, your mind likely goes to the large, long, pinkish-white crab legs belonging to King, Snow, or Dungeness crabs. But did you know that all crabs have soft shells at certain points in their growth process? Much like snakes shedding their skin, crabs also shed their hard shells when they've outgrown them in a process known as molting.

While you're required to release soft shell crabs in certain parts of the U.S. such as Oregon, there are some places where you can catch soft shell crabs and keep them for consumption, such as blue crabs off the shores of Maryland, Virginia, and the Gulf of Mexico.

The process of purchasing, storing, and thawing soft shell crabs is very similar to the one for their hard-shell counterparts, but cleaning and cooking them is another story. Before cooking soft shell crabs, you'll want to remove their lungs, abdomen, face, and tail. The most common way to cook a soft shell crab is to throw it in a deep fryer as the entire shell is edible, and this ensures the crab meat and soft shell will cook evenly.

Cooking Crab In The Oven

Cooking crab in the oven may seem like a good idea at first, but using this dry-heat method is not recommended. For starters, you don't want to brown your crab meat, which is a common outcome of cooking any meat or vegetable in the oven. In addition, roasting, baking, and broiling are not recommended for delicate foods that are vulnerable to overcooking or drying out. That includes shrimp and crab legs.

Baking crab legs will also run the risk of ruining the texture of the meat as the high heat could cause the crab to turn mushy, or cook unevenly. Although a quick broil might offer the advantage of a faster cooking time and more control over the outcome, it's also an easy way to burn your crab legs if you forget to remove them in a short amount of time. If you're going to attempt this high-risk, low-reward method for cooking crab, be sure to brush your crab with butter to lock in moisture, and cover it in foil so it's less susceptible to browning.

Overcooking Or Undercooking Crab

If you're going to splurge on crab legs, the last thing you want to do is overcook or undercook your hard-earned crustaceans. Both are easy mistakes that are commonly made, but they are also avoidable if you take the right precautions.

In terms of overcooking crab, the best chance you have in dodging this common pitfall is to cook the crab in a steamer basket over boiling water. This gives you the best control over the crab. It also yields the most moist and juicy crab legs when compared to other cooking methods like grilling or baking. Another rule of thumb is to always set a timer and make sure you're cooking your crab according to the recommended length of time as it relates to the cooking method. If you're steaming thawed crab, it should only take about five minutes.

In terms of undercooking the crab, make sure the crab meat is pinkish-white and not green or brown in color. Another way to test the doneness of your crab is to use a meat thermometer. The goal is to bring your crab to a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, so if it's anywhere under that, you'll want to cook it a bit more.

Over-Seasoning The Crab

While a subtle seasoning or savory broth can enhance the sweet flavor of crab meat, there is an art to seasoning crab so as not to overpower the delicate seafood. When it comes to citrus, it's important not to let the crab marinate too long in lime or lemon juice as it will cause the crab to denature or cook, similar to ceviche. Unless you're trying to make a crab ceviche, over-marinating crab in citrus juice will likely cause your crab to dry out or lose its texture when you cook it.

Rather than marinate the crab leg shells, another option to add flavor to your crab without over-seasoning would be to add your herbs, citrus, and spices directly to your dipping sauce. This will allow you to have more control over the intensity and boldness of flavors, and you'll also be able to enjoy the crab without the dipping sauce if you or your guests prefer the natural sweetness of the crab by itself.

Not Cleaning The Crab With Proper Tools

You've picked out the perfect crab legs, you've stored and thawed them with every food safety precaution in mind, you've seasoned them with nuanced herbs, lemon zest, and an oil-based marinade, and you've steamed them to perfection. Now it's time to dish up your elegant delicacy, but you can't figure out how to crack the claw code. In order to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you'll need the right equipment.

To crack open a crab shell, a few kitchen tools are recommended, such as an oyster knife, which can help in prying the tail open. Nutcrackers or crab crackers are useful for cracking the crab open in the joint areas and on the claws. A paring knife or crack picker is helpful in removing the crab meat from the claws and scraping it out of the hard-to-reach areas.

If you don't have any crab cracker tools or paring knives, there is one kitchen utensil everyone is sure to have on hand that can be used as a hack when you're in a pinch with crab, and that is kitchen shears. A pair of sharp scissors can cut through crab shells and joints, offering an alternative way to scrape out the meat.

Read the original article on Mashed.