That makes sense, I recall seeing my aunt make it (but it was for a larger group) and that seemed to take a while. I recall the rice needed some soaking, but I’m not too sure if that’s the way restaurants make it. That or all the ingredients just took forever to dice (dried shrimp, shitake mushrooms, the chinese sausage, green onions, etc.) and then steamed.
so here is a more basic question: how long have you successfully kept crabs alive at home before cooking? I am loathe to enter the shopping fray on Wednesday for Thanskgiving crabs… can I get them Tuesday? or is there someplace in the East Bay to get them on the day of Thanksgiving? (I remember once going to the Emeryville marina to get them from a guy off his boat, but that was not on a holiday & anyway I don’t remember who it was now)
Any tips much appreciated!
I would not keep them for more than one day covered in ice. I like to bring a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with water from their large holding tank. You need to use an aerator to keep oxygen in the water. I get them in the morning and steam them at night.
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thank you, I sorta suspected that would be the answer…
My source at 99 Mountain View said that they started out at $9.99 last Saturday when the crabs arrived. And before thanksgiving the price would go to $5.99.
The source, however, is not very fond of dungeness, having grown up eating real Shanghai hairy crabs… LOL.
I’ve posted before that these are people I know … that said they have amazing product and are so very civically engaged. Happy TG, eat well!!!
Many years ago, an established population of mitten crabs was discovered in the delta, San Pablo bay. It was thought they were illegally released. If your friend wants to eat mitten crabs, they can be caught locally
I don’t believe dazha crabs have ever really established populations in U.S. waters, though they have in Europe.
In any event, a connoisseur will only eat those from Yangcheng lake in Jiangsu Province.
Dazha crabs are tasty enough, but a pain in the ass to eat because they are so small. It takes a lot of work to to satisfy one’s appetite.
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Out of curiosity, are you eating those crabs more for their meat or for their roe? Never ate them before, but I can’t say I’m a huge fan of crab roe.
Check with California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Or google it. The crabs are in the SF Bay and Delta.
From California Department of Fish and Wildlife (emphasis mine):
“Chinese mitten crabs were first found in California in the San Francisco Bay in 1992, and by 1996 had migrated upstream to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. By 1998, the crabs had traveled into the watershed as far north as Colusa County and as far south as Merced County. Chinese mitten crabs are believed to have experienced a bust after their population boom in the San Francisco Bay Delta watershed in the late 1990s, as they are rarely collected in the watershed today. Chinese mitten crabs were discovered in Chesapeake Bay (Maryland) in 2005 and Delaware Bay in 2007. Also in 2007, they were found in the Hudson River (New York) and have since been found as far inland as Albany. They have been collected in the Gulf Coast, Canada, and the Great Lakes, but populations have not successfully established. However, they are established in numerous European countries.”
Both, actually, as the flesh is delicious. Me, I’m too lazy to eat the crabs but put some meat and/or roe in xiaolong bao and I’m there.
Someone’s actually selling mitten crabs on a Wechat group. No idea the source of the crab, however.
Marina San Mateo $6.99
99 Foster City $6.99
99 Mountain View $6.99
costco sf - $5.99 / lb cooked. a fair number of 2+ lbs crabs in there
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I’m going to Leo’s tomorrow for a fancy date night with the missus and I’m really hoping that they have local crab.
Sun Fat pre-Thanksgiving = $5.99/lb. Post-Thanksgiving = $6.99/lb. New May Wah (Clement St) = $7.99/lb on 11/25/17.
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A crab-loving guy from a Half Moon Bay farm at my farmer’s market said there aren’t many crabs this season. And the catch is on the small side.
