I too lose my interest/patience around late February, March.
I have no problem with anything but the body!
It’s a cadaver! It should be fairly predictable. Every dungeness crab has about the same anatomy; the same thorax with the same thin walled cavities, albeit one pattern on the inner part, and a different pattern closer to the legs.
I couldn’t find the picture I wanted, but something like this.
I’m thinking there’s got to be an ideal approach, perhaps related to being more intentional about separating the legs from the body, so I can get the lump meat out more efficiently.
What I used to do . After picking up live crab from the fisherman from Santa Cruz harbor.
Get a large pot of water boiling as hot as you can make it .
Plunge the live crab into the water . Of course with a thank you blessing.
Cook for 16 minutes .
The trick I learned was to fill the sink with a five pound bag of ice . No water .
Immediately put the crab into the ice after cooking.let them sit for around 20minutes . Remove and put into the fridge for a half hour .
I have found that this pulls the meat away from the shell and when you crack it open you get that large piece of claw meat without it sticking to the shell
I made some crab salad today using the Boulevard cookbook recipe, but it is amazing to me how much better the crabmeat tastes within minutes to hours after cooking, compared to days.
Oh yes, the fresher the better. Day two usually goes to hot crab sandwiches, crab quiche or crab cakes. Day one is all about the cracking and eating with Best Foods and lemon, with a green salad and homemade garlic bread. Sigh.
I went to Greenfish seafood on 8th in Oakland Chinatown today. They expected the rush, guy stationed outside pulling straight from delivery barrels. $6.99 for one, $5.99 for 3+, got five since they were small. Generally speaking, all the crabs have been on the small side. Friend was at Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay last week, off the boat…also smallish.
Yes, I use to go to Sincere Seafood, formerly in Housewive’s market, because they’re a wholesaler, selling to restaurants. They recently moved (1117 Alice St.) but didn’t have their tanks in yet. Still, the report from Pillar Point off the boats…all were on the small side.
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