Kent wrote:
> Have any of you on the West Coast Dungeness Crab territory ever tried
> grilling live crab??
> Now and then one hears about this. I was recently reading the California
> Seafood Cookbook which details the following. You freeze the crab enough to
> kill it, or at least anesthetize it. Then you take off the thick outer
> shell, and clean the inside,
> just as you do a steamed crab. Cut the remaining body and claw into
> "drumstick like pieces" and cook these on a grill.
> Has anyone tried this or any other technique? I have heard about cooking
> live crab in a wok. I know this is tough to address, butchering a live fish,
> or anything live. I have a enough stress steaming a live crab.
> Thanks for any thoughts and/or advice.
> Kent

It won't be alive by the time you put it on the grill. Nor do you need
to freeze it. Here's what you do: hold the claws of one side in your
left hand and pull off the top shell; grasp the other half of the crab
with your right hand and break the crab in half. It's now dead. Rinse
and pull out the gills and guts. It's now ready to cook, whether that
means plunging into your already boiling tub of salted water (11
minutes) or steaming or grilling. I find boiling easier than steaming,
and though I like many things grilled I wouldn't be inclined to grill
Dungies. What I'm after is that sweet, fresh crab taste, and I don't
want even a nice grill smoke to interfere with it. But I see no reason
why you couldn't put the crab halves right on the grill. They're large
enough not to fall through, whereas if you cut them into smaller pieces
that might be a problem. -aem