Cooking Muddies

[devocean]

After cooking a big feed of muddies the other day I got to wondering why some throw their claws and legs whilst other didnt. I kill my crabs before dunking them and I leave them tied up. Does anyone have any ideas about this?

Devocean

[bobby777888]

i always cook them while there still alive.............. when a crab throws its claw i was told you had to chuck it back.. is this true, or is it just another one of my grandads wild stories?

P.S. ill never forget the day a crab dropped its claw while it was still clamped onto his finger, took him ages to get it off. extremely painful 4 him, hilarious for me

[zedjack33]

Freezer job. Thats the go. Slow em down to nuthin. Should only take 10 min. Dont throw leg for me.

Come to think of it! Nothin throws the leg for #me ::)

[Chrisso]

I once saw a professional crabber put his crabs to sleep (death) on ice for 2 hours and then put them in the boiling water. ;) It prevents them throwing their legs/claws etc. :)

Regards

Chris

[Gutsy]

yeah, freezer them for say 1/2hr puts them to sleep. I also heard that if you take off the carapace and remove the gills before cooking you are less likely to get the sh^ts the next day.

[MulletMan]

Shell and clean them first! There is no comparison!

[Anne-T-Dote]

I also put 'em in the chest freezer for 1/2 hour before cooking and that definitely works. A hint though; when doin this they'll normally spew up a brown liquid which then freezes to the floor of the freezer, so stick 'em in a bucket, then chuck the whole bucket in the freezer.... ::)

[clearwater]

yeah i gotta say cleaning them b4 cooking them is good they do taste better as you dont add any fresh water to them ...i always put them in the freezer for like 30-60mins..and they never throw there legs or claws

andy

[Sideshow_Cod]

or you can clean them #and cut them up into pieces , breaking the legs and claws off anyway and cook them in a pan with some magic ingredients or great on barby . I rarely boil them anymore. mmmmm BBQ crab arrgrgr

.ah good on ya......now i,m going to have to set a pot.. ;)

[Volvo]

In ye ole freezer ta put em ta sleep.
Break open in halves n wash clean.
Then put em in the boilin water:), cook quicker, taste nicer:)..After boiled for whatever time you think best, drop em in iced water cool em down n down the hatch:)..

[zedjack33]

Ok guys. we all know about em throwin legs when put in the hot stuff. But here one for ya. It's only happend once, but I had one crab that when put directly on ice in the esky it also threw the lot.


What do you all rec'n.

[smiley=jester.gif] [smiley=jester.gif] [smiley=jester.gif]

[dylan23]

Mine always go straight out of the crab pot into an esky full of ice in the boat .... basically they stay in that ice until they hit the pot about 5 hours later ...have never had one throw anything while cooking.

[Hutcho]

Do any of you crab cookers ever cook your crabs in fresh salt water as oppossed to tap water from the sink?? If you can bring home a fresh bucket of salt water, it gives the crabs meat a much better flavour I reckon than cooking them in fresh water. It's gotta be good clean salt water tho.

Cheers,
hutcho

[devocean]

I only cook crabs using proper saltwater (ocean) water. Making your own salt is crap and never tastes as good as the proper thing.I also never use freswater at all on the crab once its been cooked. If anyone wants a good recipe for a crab pie let me know

[bungie]

If anyone wants a good recipe for a crab pie let me know

;D ;D ;D

[DNO40]

8)In the freezer for 20 mins and drop them straight into a pot of boiling saltwater, the same stuff that they were caught in !! :o

[jugs]

We bring em home, sit em on ice until they go to sleep, then chuck em in a pot of boiling salt water(which we bring home). Once they come back to the boil, cook for approx 15mins. When they come out of the boiling water, chuck em into an icy slurry to stop the cooking process and YUMMO! ::) Dont loose any claws or legs and it is a much more humane way to finish his life than to shove something up his butt! :-X

I have a great recipe for BBQ Muddie and also Sand crab lasagne if you are interested devocean!

[basserman]

hell yeh jugs post the crab lasagne :D

[jugs]

Hey devocean, can you please explain to me how to tie up a muddie?

[jugs]

Sand crab lasagne
Ingredients:
250g Sandcrab
250g prawn meat
200g of scallop meat (optional)
4 cloves of garlic
30g continental parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of hot chillies (optional, I dont add this!)
100g fresh tomatoes
200mls fresh cream
4 lasagna sheets (preferrably fresh)
grated cheese
3 glasses of good white wine. NOT BEER!!!!
Method.
Pour yourself one glass of good white wine and put on soothing music of your choice (my choice would be Barry White [smiley=gorgeous.gif]), NOT THE TELLY!! This ensures you are relaxed for the process. ::)
Heat the olive oil, garlic, continental parsley and (optional)chilli in the frying pan for 3 minutes- sip your wine and savour the aromas.
Add one glass of white wine and fresh tomatoes to the frypan, simmer for 10 minutes. Continue sipping your wine and enjoying the experience.
Add fresh cream, sand crab, (optional) scallop meat and prawns, simmer for 15 minutes.
This might be a good time to pour that second glass of wine for yourself.
Boil the fresh lasagne sheets for 4 minutes.
Lay sheets in greased baking tray, with some of the filling between each layer. Top with grated cheese and cook in the oven for 5 minutes.
Open a new bottle, light the candles and share the lasagne with someone you love! [smiley=heart.gif] [smiley=heart.gif] [smiley=heart.gif][smiley=heart.gif] [smiley=heart.gif]

[Zeeke]

It would truely be nice if you posted a pic that doesnt involve your tits Jugs... not just for the guys who prefer looking at chicks that dont weigh 2 ton.. but also for the multitudes of young kids who visit the site...

Tim

[Render]

rofl, Tim!

Always with the bon mot!

R

[Hutcho]

Your recipe sounds devine Jugs. I may have to print that off and give it a whirl myself, or get someone I love to help make it!! ;D Did you make that recipe up or was it a "stolen recipe"?!?!

By the way, I've got no problems with your posted photo's. Keep it up, unless the moderators think otherwise.

Cheers,
Hutcho

[jugs]

Thanks and thanks Hutcho! The recipe was originally someone else's and modified to suit our taste. It is also great as a pasta sauce, just thicken it a little bit.
Cheers
Jugs

[waznot]

yeah all the above devocean, in the freezer for a while then straight in pot, no throwin nothin.

[DICER]

jugs, heres the tying and storing live mud crabs..... from NT DPI

http://www.bbbalc.com/Recipes/MudCrabPreparation/files/TyingMudCrabs.pdf

make sure you use only bare feet for tying up the crabs - it's safer ;D honestly

Freezer 30 mins (watch out for the brown stuff), while tied, boil 8-10 mins/kilo (but freezer for 30 mins means less than 1kg otherwise they're fiesty still)

[devocean]

Jugs be careful when you are tying them up you dont want to lose your name

[jugs]

Not me, do you think I am that silly? Mr Jugs gets to do that!!!

[goanna1]

Turn ( tied crab) crab on its back lift flap you Know the one thats hides the naughty bits on buck crabs. plunge knife forward towards the one and twist this will kill the crab instantly odd crab will throw claws.

[Beam_and_dry]

Freezer for half hour. Clean em and then steam them for 8 minutes. I used to boil them but steaming doesn't boil away any flavour or meat and the claws aren't full of water when you crack them open and there is none of this "bring them back to the boil" business...much quicker!

Alternatively, freezer for half hour. Clean em, crack open their claws and legs, marinate in watever falvour suites your fancy (chili and garlic are OK) and then cook them on the BBQ or steam them as above.

[Scott15]

the water in the claws is the best bit. mmmmmmmmm crab juice :P ;D. well i like it

Scott

[jugs]

Freezer for half hour. Clean em and then steam them for 8 minutes. I used to boil them but steaming doesn't boil away any flavour or meat and the claws aren't full of water when you crack them open and there is none of this "bring them back to the boil" business...much quicker!

Alternatively, freezer for half hour. Clean em, crack open their claws and legs, marinate in watever falvour suites your fancy (chili and garlic are OK) and then cook them on the BBQ or steam them as above.

Hey that steaming caper sounds likie a good idea! You only steam them for 8 mins? How many in the steamer at a time? I would imagine that you couldnt steam them whole, the shell would alter the cooking time and the crabs just might try to climb out of the pot if they were alive!
I must give that a go!

Nothing worse when cracking open a claw you get a bath!

[Beam_and_dry]

I have a tall pot that I also use to mix up a good batch of stew or boil up some corned beef. I guess it is a 10L size. I fill it will the cleaned crab halves but have a grate in the bottom that keeps them out of the water.

I have probably had 4 or 5 muddies in there at one time and since they are being steamed, they cannot boil over and it is much quicker especially if you are camping or have quite few crabs to cook up.

8 minutes on the steam is enough....don't forget that steam is hotter than boiling water.

Also, don't forget to cool them down the same way as usual in some cool salt water. I just take the heat out of them and then throw them straight in the fridge or freezer to avoid having the claws fill up with brine.

Give it a whirl.....I always used to boil my muddies but have never looked back!

[devocean]

Have tried the staming technique and do rate it