" Melanie Wong 01/07/0111:26pm re: Fred
Instead of boiling, you might try steaming the crabs. I like to cook my own because I want the crab fat under the carapace and it must be freshly cooked. If you boil them, most of the fat runs out into the boiling liquid. The flavor is much more intense, the meat is less water-logged and needs no added salt when steamed. But I will caution you that the aroma when you take the lid off is incredibly overpowering because all the crab juices are concentrated into such a small amount of liquid.
Only an inch of water is needed in the bottom of the pan, takes less time to heat up. Once its boiling, lay the live crab in the pot dorsal side down (to catch the fat in the carapace). Hold it from the posterior end and the claws cant reach you. Depending on size, cooking time is 12 to 17 mins. The legs will be ready in 12 mins., and sometimes Ill pull those off to start cracking while the rest of the crab finishes cooking."
