Crabs...you can keep them!

[Jay D in Jersey]

All due respect to the members in Maryland...but I'm just not a fan of blue claw crabs(and Old Bay)...never have been and after last night's dinner, I'm adding Dungeness crabs to that list. I've had fresh caught Dungeness before years ago in Redondo Beach on the pier and was underwhelmed then. Although, in fairness, the Dungeness mostly available on the East Coast is pre-cooked and frozen so the salt content is through the roof.
The blue claws which folks rave about are, for me, too much work for too little reward. Snow crab is not much better and again, pre-cooked and frozen. Alaskan King is awesome but more expensive than lobster...which we're getting here for $10-$12/lb.
Packaged crab can be excellent but it's becoming near impossible to find it without being pasteurized, so again, very salty.
These musings are the result of a conversation we had at a party on 7/4. One guy that was there rents one side of the neighbor's big duplex across the street on the bay. He crabs every day. Said he keeps a log of the number of crabs he cooks...something like 96 for the season so far and approaching 2000 since he started his log. A bit weird...but OK. Never understood the obsession.

 

[Rick P]

Agreed with your take on Dungeness & Snow crab.
But the blue crabs?
Blasphemy!!!!


BTW.....they're called "Blue Crabs" not "blue claw"

 

[John_NJ]

The (New) Jersey Shore Blue Claws are a farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.

 

[Bob Bailey]

I was mostly raised in San Francisco and did a lot of fishing. Whenever fishing from a pier, we brought a crab net. Even if the fishing wasn't productive, we brought home crab. Most of the Dungeness from the bay were under size so red and brown rock crab were what we took home.
Living close to Reno now, we do buffets several times a year. I walk right by the crab because, when compared to the fresh rock crab, it's almost tasteless.

 

[Erik Tracy]

Gimme a pile of #1 Jimmy's on newspaper, a mound of Old Bay, a cold beer and I'm in heaven.

 

[Jim C in Denver]

Jay — back in my Avalon days, my buddies all bought a boat together and got a rental house with a slip. We spent many many hours in the back bays crabbing and water skiing.

The crabs were decent to eat, but we crabbed mostly as a fun excuse to get out on the water.

 

[Mark Silver]

I cannot do soft-shell crabs. I can do stone crab (when I used to visit my grandmother in Miami Beach) and fresh Dungeness crab (claws and large arm joints only). I don’t usually order anything in a restaurant I have to work to eat. My limit is prawns in their shells, but I only do a few of those before remembering how much I don’t like peeling them.

 

[Doug M in VA]

All due respect to the members in Maryland...but I'm just not a fan of blue claw crabs(and Old Bay)...never have been and after last night's dinner, I'm adding Dungeness crabs to that list. I've had fresh caught Dungeness before years ago in Redondo Beach on the pier and was underwhelmed then. Although, in fairness, the Dungeness mostly available on the East Coast is pre-cooked and frozen so the salt content is through the roof.
The blue claws which folks rave about are, for me, too much work for too little reward. Snow crab is not much better and again, pre-cooked and frozen. Alaskan King is awesome but more expensive than lobster...which we're getting here for $10-$12/lb.
Packaged crab can be excellent but it's becoming near impossible to find it without being pasteurized, so again, very salty.
These musings are the result of a conversation we had at a party on 7/4. One guy that was there rents one side of the neighbor's big duplex across the street on the bay. He crabs every day. Said he keeps a log of the number of crabs he cooks...something like 96 for the season so far and approaching 2000 since he started his log. A bit weird...but OK. Never understood the obsession.

"Dear Abby, Dear Abby you won't believe this ..." (John Prine) De gustibus non disputandum est!

 

[Grant Cunningham]

Well, the Dungeness *is* the official crustacean here in Oregon, so...

But seriously, fresh Dungeness is right up there with fresh Chinook Salmon as a delicious staple of the PNW seafood diet. Alaskan Snow Crab also has its adherents. But always fresh, never frozen — frozen crab, like frozen salmon, is tasteless in comparison.

(Now I've gone and made myself hungry!)

 

[Joan]

Jay, where are my crabs? You said I could keep them!!!

 

[DuaneMac]

I agree. I’m definitely a king crab guy, there’s too much work with too little reward with anything else. I know most people don’t agree, my wife being one of them! She and @Erik Tracy would get along famously!

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

Crab in pasta sauce is also disgraceful and blasphemous...there, I said it.

 

[Joan]

AH, there is nothing like shrimp, crab, lobster dipped in DH's browned butter.
My favorite thing to eat. YUM YUM!!!!!!

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

I agree. I’m definitely a king crab guy, there’s too much work with too little reward with anything else. I know most people don’t agree, my wife being one of them! She and @Erik Tracy would get along famously!

Lobster at Shoprite for $10/lb. is a great deal. They don't seem to run out when they have those specials either.

 

[TimA]

I’ve never had crab. Imitation crab in crab rangoons is about it.

I once was at Red Lobster, and listened to this guy behind me order his food. He was ADAMANT that it only have crab. “Would you like rolls?” “Does it have crab?” “No.” She even asked if he would like something to drink, “does it have crab? No? Then I don’t want it.”

Craziness

 

[Joan]

Tim, would you give us a little more information about where you live. When I click on this, all I get is info about the river.

[IMG alt="TimA"]https://tvwbb.com/data/avatars/m/48/48332.jpg?1623347427[/IMG]

TimA​

TVWBB Pro · From West of the Mississippi
Joined Jun 9, 2021

It is great that there are over 2,000 pictures of the river, but I would like to see what else Mississippi has to offer.

 

[JKalchik]

I’ve never had crab. Imitation crab in crab rangoons is about it.

I once was at Red Lobster, and listened to this guy behind me order his food. He was ADAMANT that it only have crab. “Would you like rolls?” “Does it have crab?” “No.” She even asked if he would like something to drink, “does it have crab? No? Then I don’t want it.”

Craziness

Sounds like he was rather crabby.

I don't recall ever eating crab. Closest, as others mentioned, is probably imitation Krab in Crab Rangoon, which are awfully tasty, but should probably not be compared with the real thing. I do enjoy lobster & shrimp.

 

[TimA]

I’m not in Mississippi, I’m out west in Wyoming.

Crabs out here are a personal issue

Although I’d love to try some fresh crab. We get frozen legs and half bodies is about it, and I’m not eating that. Settle for shrimp and lobstah

 

[Joan]

Tim, would you give us a little more information about where you live. When I click on this, all I get is info about the river.

[IMG alt="TimA"]https://tvwbb.com/data/avatars/m/48/48332.jpg?1623347427[/IMG]

TimA​

TVWBB Pro · From West of the Mississippi
Joined Jun 9, 2021

It is great that there are over 2,000 pictures of the river, but I would like to see what else Mississippi has to offer.

OK, then where in Wyoming?

 

[DuaneMac]

Lobster at Shoprite for $10/lb. is a great deal. They don't seem to run out when they have those specials either.

That is a good deal, we shop there 90% of the time.
I remember when I first joined Sam’s back around 1998, they would have a big seafood fest every Friday night. Giant piles of huge king crab legs, $6.49/lb.! Those were the days…
The last time I’ve had them was this past Valentines Day, a little surf n’ turf. I think they were around $24/lb.!