Cohim got crabs

[Cohim]

[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/2u8yzyta.jpg[/img][IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/ery4yga6.jpg[/img][IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/9eha5a8u.jpg[/img][IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/5e2aze5y.jpg[/img][IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/apugygu8.jpg[/img][IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/30/ne8e6a4y.jpg[/img] Everyone loves a picture book!

[James40]

Looks good. Where are the mud bugs?

[zepp69]

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Scott From NY]

PLEASE don't sho us the "other" crabs that you have-LOL

[Cohim]

I purge them till the water is clear. I don't like the way they taste if you don't. (there is a difference)

Then I boil potatoes, 8 heads of garlic cut in two, 6 onions (vidalia are my favorite), cajunland crawfish and crab boil [3/4 of the box].

I boil the above till the potatoes are fork tender, and not cooked through all the way (hint: leave the baby red potatoes in the sack, it keeps them together for a later step)

I put the crabs to sleep by icing them down. Nothing can fuck up a boil like having a crab cut your hand with its sharp claws.

Once the crabs are nice and lethargic I  take the veggies out of the pot and put in one stalk of celery cut into 4 inch pieces. I put the root and all in there for flavor. I put in a whole bag of lemons cut in two, and 4 onions cut in two.

Crank up the fire till its really rolling, and boiling. Add the rest of the Cajunland boil powder, put the crabs into the boiling pot bottom side up, one at a time. (this keeps the juice inside so the crab doesn't dry out)

Let the pot come back up to a foaming boil, then lower the flame till the water is just moving, then shut the fire off completely.

Take the potato sack and place it on top of your crabs to submerse them into the boil. This gets them all juicy and stuff!

Soak the crabs until the celery is cooked as to not be mushy, but the strings in the stalk can be chewed through easily (this is my timing devise)

Once your crabs are ready to come out of the boil. Drain your pot for a few seconds, then dump out into treys. Try to keep the crabs bottom side up. This will keep the juice inside the shell.

Boiling crabs is not rocket science, and my instruction is only a guide to how I do it. I have used Old Bay, Zaterans, tony's, I have even done crabs like steamed clams with wine, butter , and garlic. The key is to get the water as briny as you can. Taste the water to make sure it is salty enough. It should be as salty as sea water, and spicy enough to your individual taste. My trick for not over boiling them is in the celery stalk. If the stalk is mushy, you may want to stop the boiling process. The soak is important also. If you fear you have over boiled your crabs, try some ice to cool the water. This trick also forces the boil into the crab's cavity much faster. Boiling is not about being fast, but seeing how many beers you can put down before they are ready. :clap:


This boil was for 2 dozen medium blue crabs. It works for any crab, that I know of.

[Cohim]

He has ruined them! He scraped out all of the roe. That is my favorite part. The roe, and the fat is awesome!

[WadeFillingame]

[quote author=Taps86 link=topic=28428.msg121988#msg121988 date=1406727685]
Clean them suckers alive. So much better.
[/quote]

That's the way we do it at home (GA) back'em and spray with a hose. It's a lot easier.

She crab is a whole 'nuther thing, but for low country boil, back em and wash em out then toss the bodies in the boil when the potatoes and corn are done.  (along with 5 or 10 lbs of shrimp just to keep every one happy)

I grew up in sight of the shrimp docks, we used to eat shrimp at 2AM when we had the munchies...  :cal:

[Cohim]

Boiling shrimp is something I'm not that good at. I boil seasoned water, cook all of the potatoes and veggies. Take out the veggies, add half box of salt. Bring up to a boil again shut down heat, and dump in the fresh shrimp. When they start to float they are almost done. I test peel until I think the seasoning is right. I would rather eat a shrimp that is under seasoned,than have a perfectly seasoned shrimp that I can't peel. LOL!

[WadeFillingame]

[quote author=Cohim link=topic=28428.msg122673#msg122673 date=1407586163]
Boiling shrimp is something I'm not that good at. I boil seasoned water, cook all of the potatoes and veggies. Take out the veggies, add half box of salt. Bring up to a boil again shut down heat, and dump in the fresh shrimp. When they start to float they are almost done. I test peel until I think the seasoning is right. I would rather eat a shrimp that is under seasoned,than have a perfectly seasoned shrimp that I can't peel. LOL!
[/quote]

As soon as the backs start to pull away from the shell shrimp are done.  It takes under 10 minutes.  I almost never eat shrimp unless I cook them.  Most places ruin them, usually by cooking them too long and making them into mush, and you can't get the shell off of those either. 

For real fun boil them with the heads on and serve them to folks that don't realize he's 'nuthing but a saltwater cockroach.  They don't like looking those ugly things in the face.

[Cohim]

Who boils headless? Here in NOLA almost all shrimp are boiled with the head on.