14 Tasty Crab Recipes

Frying isn't the only way to bring the best out of this delectable crustacean

Beyond the usual frying, there are many ways to cook crab—14, in fact, here in the Yummy database.

But before hitting the stove with all the other ingredients, prepare the crab first by cleaning it. Food blogger Market Man once blogged about the intricacies of cleaning a crab. In that blog post, he mentioned that it's best to work with a live crab. He wrote: "Turn the crab over so that its stomach is facing the ceiling or sky. Hold or restrain it with some kitchen tongs if you have them. Then take a nice sturdy knife and plunge it into the center of the underbelly and cut towards the face of the crab (look for the shift eyes…)." Visit his blog for detailed instructions on preparing your crab for cooking.

Some notes:

1. Live brown crabs can stay alive for three to four days if they are kept cold and damp, ideally in the bottom if your fridge covered with a damp cloth, DO NOT put into fresh water. (source: Fish For Thought UK)

2. When determining how to cook crab, your next step is the cooking pot selection. Your pot must be large enough to fit the crab’s 10 legs and have at least 3 inches of water covering the entire crab, legs and body both. (source: Professor's House)

3. Cooked crab meat can be frozen and will keep for four months. Make sure that it is tightly wrapped in cling film or placed in an airtight container before freezing. If you choose you can add a layer of salted water (brine) to ensure freshness on defrosting. (source: Help With Cooking)

Check out Yummy's selection of crab recipes:

* Asian Crab Dip

* Crab and Corn Soup

* Leyanne’s Deep-Fried Chili Crab

* Crab and Artichoke Spread

* Chili Crabs

* Japanese Store Kani and Edamame Salad with Miso-Soy Dressing

* Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Cha Gio Viet)

* Kagang Crab

* Crab Salad with Lime Dressing

* Shrimp and Squid Aligue Pasta  

* Seafood with Pesto

* Seafood Tomato Soup

* Cioppino

* Crab Cakes

Flashbox photo by Bruce Lim; frozen crab photo from sxc.hu