The sweet, tasty meat from this hard-shelled crustacean never fails to make a memorable meal
There are thousands of crab varieties out there in the oceans, but in the UK there’s one in particular that makes it onto the menu, and that’s the European Brown. And this is the one that you’ll find caught on the West Country coast.
Like most varieties, it’s delicious, surrendering a dense, sweet white meat from the claws and a softer, richer, more intense flavoured meat from under its distinctive “pie crust” shell.
Crabs are available all year round, but they’re best in the summer, coming into season properly from around April to September. They might be a bit trickier to find in the height of summer though as the male cocks (which are particularly prized because of their bigger claws) seek out cooler, deeper waters.
You can buy crabs alive and kill and cook them yourself, although this is only recommended if you really know what you’re doing to ensure a humane dispatch. Perhaps a better, kinder option is to get the fishmonger to do it for you — but you will need to cook him straight away as the quality of the flesh deteriorates fast.
Once cooked, getting to the succulent flesh can be a bit of a tricky business. Remove the claws by twisting and pulling them away from the body. Twist apart the sections and carefully break the claws with the end of a heavy knife — try to just crack them rather than shatter them — then pull out the meat (a lobster pick might be helpful here).
Next, hold the shell firmly, then push out the body section with your thumbs. Chuck away the 10 grey “dead men’s fingers” which are tough and indigestible.
Scoop the brown meat from under the shell. Don’t worry if it looks a little sloppy and unappetising – it’s perfectly normal – but you can add some fine fresh breadcrumbs if you want to firm it up a bit.
To get the white meat, cut the body section in half (try not to shatter the cartilage as it will be difficult to remove later) and carefully remove.
Finally, pick through all the meat carefully to remove any stray bits of shell.
If all that seems a bit of a faff though, the easiest option is to buy your crab ready cooked and dressed.
Crab is a wonderfully versatile (and healthy) ingredient It’s good eaten hot or cold, in pasta or crab cakes, soups, salads and soufflés. Like most seafood, it pairs well with cream, lemon and butter, and is a fine platefellow for a spot of chilli.
FOODLOVER FAVE
For fresh West Country crab, you can’t get much better than the stuff from Dorset Shellfish. It’s a real family business — owned by Caroline Drever, who runs the business with daughter Stef — they believe in providing quality shellfish and fish caught from her partner, Graham’s boat Marauder WH22 and other day boats working out of Weymouth.
Their shop at the Maritime Business Centre in Portland is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm so make sure to pop along (or call the day before to pre- order) to nab yourself some top-quality seafood.