Day twenty-two: Where I get crabs
Posted on | July 16, 2009
Today, we cook crabs: A king crab leg, a soft-shelled crab, and a dungeness crab.
And, just for fun, we also cook shrimp.
And if you want to cook any of these, I’ll tell you how (and, guess what, it is insanely easy).
My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four; unless there are three other people.
~ Orson Welles
We cooked four items today: Dungeness crab, King Crab leg, prawns, and a soft-shell crab. Let me tell you what we did for each.
How to take apart and cook a Dungeness crab
First thing we did was dismember a dungeness crab. It was easy! First, you take off the shell from the top. You simply lift and remove. Then remove the membrane, face, innards, and gills. Then flip it over.
Now, inside you can see some orange or green ooze. Some people prize this; some loathe it. I volunteered to try it, and while it was not gross, nor was it something I would yearn for. Only one other student tried it. He had the same reaction.
Next, remove the narrow skeletal bit (it looks like tail tucked under the crab). Then rip the crab in half and rip the legs off.
I’d rinse the whole thing right about now so you can work cleanly.
Next, using a lobster cracker, crack the claws and extract the meat. If you are going to serve this in a salad or other form where the meat will be seen, whole (as opposed to shredded such as in crab cakes) then try and keep this meat in one piece. I did manage to do this, but it was pretty time-consuming.
Also, extract the meat from the body.
We did the same with the king crab leg, then we mixed the meat together. The plan was to make crab cakes, so I picked through the crab meat to make sure there were no bits of cartilage left and squeezed everything to get rid of any extra liquid. Then we added panko crumbs, eggs, mayonnaise, minced bell pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and additional seasoning. Shape into compact one ounce cakes, deep fry, and delicious!
And, oddly enough, halfway through the crab cooking, Chef Rushmore popped into the kitchen, told us crab day was his favorite day, then gave my back an affectionate pat.
You just can’t predict these Chef’s, sometimes.
What to do with a soft shell crab
This one is easy – no fussing dismembering is needed. Simply toss with seasoned flour (seasoned merely, in my case, with salt and pepper) and drop, gently (painful if it splashes!) into the deep fryer.
Once it is a deep, golden brown, enjoy.
And, yes, feel free to rip off the legs and eat them. You’re supposed to!
Super easy prawns
Can you tell I’m loving all this seafood? So easy to cook and very delicious.
And prawns are no exception.
For these, I ripped off the head, then removed the shell around the body by wedging my thumbnail underneath and working my way down to the tail (the chef told us to grasp the legs and pull, but I found my way easier). Then, using my knife, I slit partially through the back (along the hump) to release the intestine (the black line) which I gently pulled out and discarded. If you can’t find it, it is no big deal. But I like to take it out because it can contain some grit.
These I sauteed with butter, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Thank goodness I had cooked shrimp before otherwise I would not have been prepared for how quickly (think a minute or two) these cook. Even big ones, like these.
And, as for tomorrow … more fish, including fish and chips and (what fun) my first shark!
You can never have enough garlic. With enough garlic, you can eat The New York Times.
~ Morley Safer
So, you want to know what my two, new teammates are like?
We talked over our big project for a bit this afternoon and both seemed very willing to discuss ideas. So that’s great.
In the kitchen, Mama, the sweet and religious mother of three, is very nice, very slow, and very unsure of herself. Where I prepared and cooked about three-quarters of the fish, she ended up getting our mise en place.
I’ll have to ask her tomorrow if there is anything she wants to cook so she doesn’t miss out.
And the scruffy Mr. Big gets caught up in small details (he spent a lot of time making a tarragon butter which he forgot to clarify, then didn’t have enough time to finish cooking his fish). He also likes to boss people around (“Don’t put that dish there.”), but he seems to be a decent cook.
But, although I have gained two teammates, I have lost one kitchen chef. Remember those amazing cinnamon buns from yesterday? Well, the baker of those delights, She Chef, has been moved to the night class. She didn’t seem too pleased with the change in schedule, but I doubt she was anywhere as disappointed as Kid Courageous and Other Guy, both of whom had mad crushes on her both for her kind nature and her baking prowess. Our loss.
American consumers have no problem with carcinogens, but they will not purchase any product, including floor wax, that has fat in it.
~ Dave Barry
And as for our big project this term, we are having another live fire.
Remember, we had a breakfast live fire a while back? Where we cooked food to order (just like in a real restaurant!)? Well, this one is lunchtime. And this is what we need to make (some items are required, some optional):
- Corn chowder
- a green salad with a vinagrette (we have to come up with the salad and vinagrette recipe)
- vegetable or grain salad (again, we come up with the the recipe)
- monte crisco sandwich
- panfried chicken breast (recipe is ours)
- grilled salmon (another recipe that is ours)
- a ground meat dish (recipes ours, again)
- a vegetarian dish with a sauce and a side (recipes ours, once again)
- polenta (our recipe)
- a potato side dish (our recipe)
- hollandaise
So lots of planning here. Busy days!
Comments
6 Responses to “Day twenty-two: Where I get crabs”
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July 16th, 2009 @ 6:11 am
Just wanted to share how they get prepared here in good ole Baltimore!!
http://lovefeasttable.com/blog/shrimp-with-old-bay-recipe-baltimore-style/
and http://lovefeasttable.com/blog/steamed-crabs-in-baltimore/
really…just toss on some old bay and that’s how we do it here!
-kristin
July 16th, 2009 @ 6:38 am
Yay for your making a seafood feast!
I’ve only had soft shell crab in spider rolls from sushi houses…It’s the first thing I’m going to get my hands on when I finally get to San Fran, preferably when in season!
Everything sounds delicious!
As for your lunch “live fire”, may I ask if your fourth item is an analogue of the French Croque-monsieur, often referred to as a Monte Cristo?
Best of luck on your upcoming live fire
July 16th, 2009 @ 7:52 am
The Monte Cristo sandwich is more like French toast meets turkey and ham sandwich. See, you make the sandwich then pan fry it, much like you pan fry French toast.
I’m not fond of it, but my fellow students love them.
I’d rather just have plain old French toast (well, I say “plain” but there should be some heavenly maple syrup nearby!).
July 16th, 2009 @ 8:51 am
Ummm, green salad with vinaigrette. My favorite way to eat a salad. So many possbilities. (Spinach, fresh strawberries, sesame seeds & pecans is a favorite) Any green salad with a vinaigrette is fantastic with any kind of nuts!
July 19th, 2009 @ 10:22 am
Your kitchen reads are the most fun I’ve had since Kitchen Confidential. Thanks for keeping it fun and real. Wish I could taste those crab cakes!
August 15th, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
I’ve just discovered your blog and have had a splendid time reading through from the start. I almost (almost, mind you) want to read slower so that I’ll have some left.
Your blog was the perfect find for me as I debate a career switch.
I enjoy the quotations you dollop into each post. And, as always, now I’m hungry after reading.