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

In article >,
"Kent" > wrote:

> Have any of you on the West Coast Dungeness Crab territory ever tried
> grilling live crab??

That would be horribly cruel...

I might do fresh frozen but NEVER LIVE!!!

I'd freeze it solid first.


> 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
>
>
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

id say, "let er rip" sounds good to me.
toss it on the grill and shut the lid. & go get some butter melted.


joe


"Kent" > wrote in message
...
> 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
>
>

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

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
> In article >,
> "Kent" > wrote:
>
> > Have any of you on the West Coast Dungeness Crab territory ever tried
> > grilling live crab??
>
> That would be horribly cruel...
>
> I might do fresh frozen but NEVER LIVE!!!
>
> I'd freeze it solid first.

Thereby spoiling the fresh texture and adding greatly to the cooking
time, both of which would be cruel to your diners. I'd much rather be
cruel to the crab. -aem

On 2005-12-19, OmManiPadmeOmelet > wrote:

> I might do fresh frozen but NEVER LIVE!!!
>
> I'd freeze it solid first.

I doubt the crab would be "live" after being broken up into parts. If
you are squeamish about breaking a live crab up into parts, a .44
magnum to the brainpan should remedy that dilemma.

nb

"aem" > wrote in message
ups.com...


> 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.

I know this is going to sound incredibly stupid, but what do you pull the
shell off *with*? I've never cooked crab from fresh, but I've seen plenty of
them squirming around at the fishmarket in Cardiff, and the top shell seems
pretty firmly attached to the bottom shell. There doesn't seem to be a gap
where I could insert the fingernails, and pull ...?

Jani
(who is not squeamish about killing, but dislikes unnecessary pain in the
process)

Jani wrote:
>
> I know this is going to sound incredibly stupid, but what do you pull the
> shell off *with*? I've never cooked crab from fresh, but I've seen plenty of
> them squirming around at the fishmarket in Cardiff, and the top shell seems
> pretty firmly attached to the bottom shell. There doesn't seem to be a gap
> where I could insert the fingernails, and pull ...?

It's not stupid to be inexperienced. There is a gap between the top
shell and the rest of the beast. You just find a place to hook your
fingers, usually right near the top/front of the crab, and pull
backwards. It's much easier to demonstrate than to describe. Once
you've done it two or three times it's easy. The tricky part is to get
a good firm hold of all the claws on the left side so they can't pinch
you. I doubt that crabs feel the pain in anything akin to the way we
might but of course I can't prove that. I do know that they don't
scream the way broccoli does. -aem

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Kent" > wrote:
>
> > Have any of you on the West Coast Dungeness Crab territory ever tried
> > grilling live crab??
>
> That would be horribly cruel...
>
> I might do fresh frozen but NEVER LIVE!!!
>
> I'd freeze it solid first.


They'd not get any better treatment from an octopus that rips their shell
off to eat them. Sea otters eat crabs one leg at a time.

Paul

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> On 2005-12-19, OmManiPadmeOmelet > wrote:
>
> > I might do fresh frozen but NEVER LIVE!!!
> >
> > I'd freeze it solid first.
>
> I doubt the crab would be "live" after being broken up into parts. If
> you are squeamish about breaking a live crab up into parts, a .44
> magnum to the brainpan should remedy that dilemma.
>
> nb

Where is the brain pan? ;-)
I've never shot a crab...

Will a 9mm do? <G>
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

One time on Usenet, "Kent" > said:

> Have any of you on the West Coast Dungeness Crab territory ever tried
> grilling live crab??

Ye gads, no! I'd be too worried that I'd ruin the 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.

Sorry Kent, my advice it so just throw them live into a big pot of
boiling water. That's how I used to cook them as a young 'un, after
spending the day on the beach. Of course, I was much more heartless
at that age. Now I'm soft and lazy, and get them at the seafood market
already cooked...


--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 13:25:35 -0800, "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
>

Your musings aren't very logical. We clean our crabs AFTER they are
cooked, not before and if you think you've been stressed by
steaming/boiling live crab... just wait until you try to throw a live
on on a hot grill. It won't be very happy and neither will you.

"aem" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Jani wrote:
>>
>> I know this is going to sound incredibly stupid, but what do you pull the
>> shell off *with*? I've never cooked crab from fresh, but I've seen plenty
>> of
>> them squirming around at the fishmarket in Cardiff, and the top shell
>> seems
>> pretty firmly attached to the bottom shell. There doesn't seem to be a
>> gap
>> where I could insert the fingernails, and pull ...?
>
> It's not stupid to be inexperienced. There is a gap between the top
> shell and the rest of the beast. You just find a place to hook your
> fingers, usually right near the top/front of the crab, and pull
> backwards. It's much easier to demonstrate than to describe. Once
> you've done it two or three times it's easy. The tricky part is to get
> a good firm hold of all the claws on the left side so they can't pinch
> you. I doubt that crabs feel the pain in anything akin to the way we
> might but of course I can't prove that. I do know that they don't
> scream the way broccoli does.

Ah, right, thank you. Obviously I didn't look closely enough at the
construction of the creatures I've always been a bit befuddled when faced
with crustaceans, live or otherwise.

Jani

sf wrote:
>
> Your musings aren't very logical. We clean our crabs AFTER they are
> cooked, not before and if you think you've been stressed by
> steaming/boiling live crab... just wait until you try to throw a live
> on on a hot grill. It won't be very happy and neither will you.

Many lovers of Dungeness crab, especially those who catch them or buy
them live in the Pacific Northwest, clean them BEFORE cooking them, as
I described above. Not only is it very easy and fast but we believe it
makes the crab more delicious. Most of us clean fish and chicken
before cooking them, too. :-)) -aem

Ok, you guys have peaked my interest. I'm going to chill a live dungeness
crab in the freezer, then dismember it while it is still alive. But first I
have to find a thick long pair of rubber gloves.

On 20 Dec 2005 11:00:32 -0800, aem wrote:

> sf wrote:
> >
> > Your musings aren't very logical. We clean our crabs AFTER they are
> > cooked, not before and if you think you've been stressed by
> > steaming/boiling live crab... just wait until you try to throw a live
> > on on a hot grill. It won't be very happy and neither will you.
>
> Many lovers of Dungeness crab, especially those who catch them or buy
> them live in the Pacific Northwest, clean them BEFORE cooking them, as
> I described above.

Trust me. After you've done it... those crabs are good and DEAD.
Either you're cooking them live or dead - can't have it both ways the
way Kent was musing.


I will continue to take my longest tongs and plunge them into water
because I'm not having anything to do with those claws. You can
continue ripping the shells off live crabs, but I value my skin too
much. LOL
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.