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Blue Crab - Maryland steamed blue crab is the best way of cooking Chesapeake Bay crabs. This easy recipe with Old Bay Seasoning takes 30 mins to make and so delicious!
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Maryland Blue Crab
Blue crab is one of my favorite crustacean; the others are snow crab, king crab, Dungeness crab, lobster tail, and fresh water prawn.
I also love crab legs and crawfish boil. My appreciation for seafood isn’t limited to crustaceans; I also enjoy clams.
The crab is native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and through the Gulf of Mexico.
They are sometimes called Maryland crab and best served steamed, or can be added to New Orleans seafood boil.
The meat has a sweet and briny flavor and tastes absolutely delicious.
When Is Blue Crab Season
The most popular blue crabs come from The Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia. The peak season is from April to mid December in 2020.
Blue crabs are also found and harvested in Nova Scotia, Canada, Florida and the Gulf coasts.
How To Cook Blue Crab
I have the best blue crab recipe for you: steamed blue crab with Old Bay Seasoning. It’s so easy to make at home.
First, I cleaned the crabs by rinsing with cold water. Next, I killed them by sticking a knife or chopstick at the back of the crab.
To cook the crab, I heated up a steamer with water and seasoned the crabs with Old Bay Seasoning. Steam for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, or until the crab shells turn completely orange.
How To Eat Blue Crab
It’s very easy to enjoy the crab meat. Below is the step-by-step eating guide:
- On a flat surface lined with papers (for example: parchment paper), hold the bottom part of the crab firmly with one hand and then flip open the top shell with the other hand.
- Remove the gills on the crab.
- Snap and break the crab into halves. Remove the crab claws and crab legs from the body. Pick out the meat with a shellfish or seafood fork.
Due to its size, there are not much meat inside the crab legs.
Ingredients
- 4 blue crabs
- Water
- Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
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Rinse the blue crab under cold running water. If the surface is dirty, use a brush to scrub the body and rinse well.
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To kill the crab before steaming, insert a chopstick or a chef's knife into the middle of the crab's back.
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In a pot with a raised rack (at least 2 inches/5 cm high), add equal parts water and vinegar until just below the level of the rack. Bring to a boil.
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Carefully layer the crabs on the rack, sprinkling each layer with Old Bay Seasoning. Cover the pot and steam for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the crabs, until the shells turn orange.
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Remove the blue crabs from the steamer and serve immediately with melted butter and lemon wedges.
