Cooking mud crabs

[Noelm]

I am sure you can over cook crabs, but from my findings, it is not as critical as we all thought (me included) if I hadn't of found the nipper in the pot, I would have still been waiting by the timer and rushing to get crabs out of the pot and into the cold water so they do over cook, when in fact, there seems to be plenty of time. Next time someone else is cooking a few, do the same test to make sure mine was not just a "one off"

[lippa]

There's a very fine line between undercooked, perfectly cooked and over cooked crab.
you have a minute window. A full 16cm buck I'll cook for 10m30s. Then straight into ice slurry. Your correct in a sense noel, once it's 30 seconds over cooked it may as we'll be 30 minutes over done, there is minimal difference as the flesh is sooo delicate to begin with.

once you've had it perfect, you'll know what I mean

[lbger]

I dont think crab is like fish or scallops or the like as far as cooking times are concerned. cook them till they are just cooked or cook them for ten minutes more then cool then i doubt you would pick the difference.
I chefed in some pretty fancy la de da restaurants in sydney and am super pedantic when it comes to my food.
If you under cook it then its just horrid.

[Noelm]

yep, that's what I found, I was always looking at the time and would whip the crabs out the second time was up, but in practice, it doesn't seem to be the case, but then, why not cook them "just right"?

[rosco1974]

looks like over cook mine by around 5-10 minutes going by you fellas... depending on how many I cook at a time, a just keeper muddie I cook for 15 minutes,a good muddie 7.5-8.5 inch around 18-20 minutes..if I am cooking 8-10 I cook them for 20 minutes..never had any complaints and the pro crabbers I know cook them for similar times,sandies I cook around 20-25 at a time and cook them for 10 minutes..i cook all crabs with the backs still on..just throwing it out there the odd crab you are getting with mushy and hard to peel crabs I wouldn't mind bettin these are the first one you have caught an are 1/2- frozen in the ice slurry...next trip throw a crab in the freezer when u get home freeze it defrost it cook it then eat it..will be the same as you described
cheers rosco

[lbger]

agreed Rosco, if ya freeze them u should be shot they are just awful.. just like the spanner crabs you get at the sheriton seafood buffet.. Funny thing was the other day i got hold of some just caught bugs and the Mrs say she doesnt think much of them because they are touch and stringy... I grilled these beauties with a bit of garlic butter and she couldnt believe the difference..
Damn it now i have to share them lol.

[Chong]

Gents,
I have had same problem in past with muddies but think now I have a system that works 100% and flavour is great. I have tried killing in ice slurry then cook, have peeled green and cooked, have cooled in ice slurry, have cooled in freezer…some time great others a bit hit and miss.
What I do now…

1. catch crab, tie and leave in bin 1 -3 days under damp hessian bag and 1 -2 frozen ice bottle on top, this seem to let the crab stay calm and pass any shiet, blue juice bubbles etc..
2. Before I start cooking I will turn crab over and chill slowly, not in ice slurry, either freezer or more ice bottles in tub (DO NOT FREEZE CRAB) then when crab is asleep spike brain, keep on back and let bubbles blow for 10 mins…
3. cooking time…salt water…on the boil…always cook up side down…bring to boil 2 mins…total cook 15 min
4. then I place into clean pot and into freezer (up side down) until shell luke warm to cool on touch, then in eski fridge, no slurry, until reaches desired cleaning/eating temp, maybe warm or leave them over night.

Have been doing it this way now for some time and never misses, meat perfect and great taste, comes away from shell like a dream…

Cheers

[Tangles]

Chong,
is that 15 mins from when it returns to the boil? surprised about no ice slurry

[Horse]

I do muddies from 15 -18 mins (depends on size) in salt water (boiling time). Into a bucket of fresh water for about 1 min or so to drop the temp then into a salt slurry. Meat is firm and comes clear of the shell fine

[Shark Poker]

..........

[hungry6]

Ok, just my thought, I crabbed and eat them also. I'm very picky with my seafood and the way it's prepared and cooked.
This is how I how I find the best tasting cooked mud crab. Sandies get deep fried with salt and pepper.
Chill the mud crabs down with a good ice slurry and then clean them out, hose them out if you must and I do.
Get a deep crab boiling pot and fill it with salt water about 50mm deep and place a clean brick at the bottom and bring to a full boil.
Place all your cleaned and chilled 1/2 crabs in a metal wire container, and place it on top of the brick and steam the suckers for exactly 8 mins.
After this, remove crabs and cool them down with a brine slurry, if you have to store them in fridge, make sure it's in a seal bag or they will dry out.
enjoy.

[FANTINE]

Thanks to everyone, I have just returned from my latest trip and the problem appeared to be having them in the ice slurry too long resulting in them being partly frozen. By restricting the time in the ice slurry I had an excellent result, it is surprising how cold a deep ice slurry is.

[tropicrows]

Has anyone used the steam method for cooking. I used this method a couple of times and it seems to work well. Same cooking times but you don't need to wait for the water to come back onto the boil, as its boiling constantly.

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[Noelm]

Yep, I steam Sandies sometimes, works OK, but unless you have some sort of commercial sized steamer (or you can't catch many crabs) it takes forever to cook a decent catch with a small home steamer.

[tropicrows]

I just use of those cheap 40 litre pots with a home made rack in the bottom about 100 mm high.

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