Читать книгу Home Cooking - Rachel Allen - Страница 123

1 First place the crab in the freezer for a couple of hours so that it is unconscious before boiling. To cook a crab, place it in a large saucepan, cover with warm water, add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1.2 litres (2 pints) of water and bring to the boil. Simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) and then pour off about two-thirds of the water, cover with a lid and continue to cook for a further 6 minutes. To check to see if the crab is cooked, gently shake it quite close to your ear and you shouldn’t hear liquid splashing around. Remove the crab and allow to cool.

2 First remove the large claws and crack these (using a heavy weight or nut crackers), then extract every bit of meat using the handle of a teaspoon. Retain the shell if making dressed crab (see overleaf), otherwise discard. Turn the body of the crab upside down and pull out the centre portion. Discard the gills, known as ‘dead man’s fingers', each about 4cm (1½in) long. Scoop out all the lovely brown meat and add it to the white meat from the claws. The meat can be used immediately or frozen for future use.