Crabs are usually sold ready
boiled, which is a great con-
venience to the cook, whose
next care is that of selection.
The best Crabs are always heavy according to size ;
the claws and legs should be all on. They should
be stiff and firm, and the eyes should be bright rather
than dull. The male Crab has larger claws than the
female, but less body in proportion, therefore selection
should depend on whether the taste leans towards white j
meat, or to the more mellow liver and creamy fat
surrounding it. The liver is the soft yellow substance
which nearly fills the interior of the body. The female
also has a much broader tail than the male.
It so happens that lobsters and Crabs are in season
at the same time, giving a choice that it is sometimes
difficult to decide. Many prefer the Crab on account of
the abundance of soft interior ; but the white meat of the
lobster is far superior to that of the Crab. They are
equally indigestible, but as the Crab is cheaper according
to quantity, and yields more eatable parts than a lobster
of the same weight, the preference, if any, is more often
given to the Crab.
Hard-shell Crabs may be dressed and served as
follow :
(1) Open the Crab, a hen for preference, at the tail, by
raising its body or under-shell from the carapace or upper-
shell, taking care not to break either ; pick out all the good
parts from the body and claws, and chop it finely ; mix it
Fig. 539. Dressed Hard-shell Crab.
with some vinegar, oil, mustard, and pepper ; clear out the
back shell and put the mixture into either, and garnish with
sprigs of parsley, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and lobster coral,
or caviare if preferred. Serve with salad (see Fig. 539).
(2) Pick out the meat and mix the soft part with bread-
crumbs, flavour with a little pepper and salt, and return it
to the centre of the shell ; pick the flesh from the large claw
of the Crab, fill up the two ends, separating it from the other
with some red spawn, put it on a dish, surround with a
circle of small claws, garnish with parsley, and serve.
(3) Remove the meat from the shells and claws, and cut
it into small pieces; mix it with 1 table-spoonful of bread-
crumbs, a little oil, vinegar, and mustard. Clean the shells
by washing them in warm water, put the meat into them,
make a bed on a dish with either shredded lettuce, sliced
celery, watercress, or parsley, put the Crabs on, and serve.
Besides tlie directions for serving Crab plainly dressed
there are numerous methods of making Crabs Lip into
tasty dishes, and of these the following may be con-
sidered very select :
Buttered Crab. — Take out the meat of a large boiled Crab,
cutting it up small, and mix with a mixture of breadcrumbs
and finely-chopped parsley to about a third of the bulk of
the Crab-meat. Season well with salt, pepper, cayenne, and
put a few pieces of butter over it ; pack it back in the shell,
pour over a little vinegar, or lemon pickle or juice, cover over
with a thick layer of sifted breadcrumbs✪ Buttered Crab, place a few more
lumps of butter on the top, set the Crab in a slow oven, and
cook until done. Take it out and serve hot.
Page 505 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Crabs are usually sold ready boiled, which is a great convenience to the cook, whose next care is that of selection.
The best Crabs are always heavy according to size ; the claws and legs should be all on. They should be stiff and firm, and the eyes should be bright rather than dull. The male Crab has larger claws than the female, but less body in proportion, therefore selection should depend on whether the taste leans towards white
meat, or to the more mellow liver and creamy fat surrounding it. The liver is the soft yellow substance which nearly fills the interior of the body. The female also has a much broader tail than the male.
It so happens that lobsters and Crabs are in season at the same time, giving a choice that it is sometimes difficult to decide. Many prefer the Crab on account of the abundance of soft interior ; but the white meat of the lobster is far superior to that of the Crab. They are equally indigestible, but as the Crab is cheaper according to quantity, and yields more eatable parts than a lobster of the same weight, the preference, if any, is more often given to the Crab.
Hard-shell Crabs may be dressed and served as follow :
(1) Open the Crab, a hen for preference, at the tail, by raising its body or under-shell from the carapace or uppershell, taking care not to break either ; pick out all the good parts from the body and claws, and chop it finely ; mix it
Fig. 539. Dressed Hard-shell Crab.
with some vinegar, oil, mustard, and pepper ; clear out the back shell and put the mixture into either, and garnish with sprigs of parsley, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and lobster coral, or caviare if preferred. Serve with salad (see Fig. 539).
(2) Pick out the meat and mix the soft part with breadcrumbs, flavour with a little pepper and salt, and return it to the centre of the shell ; pick the flesh from the large claw of the Crab, fill up the two ends, separating it from the other with some red spawn, put it on a dish, surround with a circle of small claws, garnish with parsley, and serve.
(3) Remove the meat from the shells and claws, and cut it into small pieces; mix it with 1 table-spoonful of breadcrumbs, a little oil, vinegar, and mustard. Clean the shells by washing them in warm water, put the meat into them, make a bed on a dish with either shredded lettuce, sliced celery, watercress, or parsley, put the Crabs on, and serve. Besides tlie directions for serving Crab plainly dressed
there are numerous methods of making Crabs Lip into tasty dishes, and of these the following may be considered very select :
Buttered Crab. — Take out the meat of a large boiled Crab, cutting it up small, and mix with a mixture of breadcrumbs and finely-chopped parsley to about a third of the bulk of the Crab-meat. Season well with salt, pepper, cayenne, and put a few pieces of butter over it ; pack it back in the shell, pour over a little vinegar, or lemon pickle or juice, cover over with a thick layer of sifted breadcrumbs, place a few more lumps of butter on the top, set the Crab in a slow oven, and cook until done. Take it out and serve hot.
Records on this page
Buttered Crab