The types of crab sold in the United States differ in size and appearance, but most have sweet, rich meat and are delicious when served in numerous preparations. Crab is commonly available for purchase alive; in pieces- refrigerated, canned, or frozen; and frozen whole. Each form has a different use and may be more readily available in certain regions than others.
When preparing live, choose feisty crabs and cook them by boiling in seasoned water or by steaming. Crab is cooked when the flesh pulls away from the shell, turns opaque, and the shell takes on a bright reddish cast.
At certain times of the year you may be able to purchase live soft-shell crabs. These are ordinary crabs that have shed their outer hard shell. Ask your fishmonger to clean (dress) them for cooking, or clean them yourself at home by snipping off their eyes, mouth, gills and aprons with scissors. Once cleaned, soft-shell crabs are very tasty (and can be eaten whole) after grilling or pan-frying.
Varieties of crab that have been cooked and frozen (including claws and King crab legs) may be thawed in the refrigerator and then reheated by steaming or grilling. Crab meat is delicious dipped in vinaigrettes, butter-based sauces, or squeezed with a little bit of lemon.
When using crab meat in recipes, it's easiest to purchase cooked and picked out of the shells, rather than cooking the crabs and picking out the meat yourself. Before using, sift through the meat to pull out any shell fragments that might have been missed during picking. Crab meat is excellent when used in hot dips as an appetizer, combined with seasoning and breaded in crab cakes, or served in cold salads.
