BRADLEY'S CONTENT
Blue crabs can last up to 5 days in the fridge, stored upside down, keeping all the tenderness in the meat. How? The shell serves as a perfect “dish” for the meat. Once, you’re ready for the feast, keep the preparation easy. Ideally, it’s best to unload the custom crab cooler, that arrived via UPS, immediately at your feasting location. In other cases, a chilling in the fridge may make sense, especially if you plan a delivery a day or two before the event, just in case of any unforeseen delays, like a hurricane!
Decide your easiest and tastiest choice in serving the crabs. Some enthusiasts simply set out butter warmers and let the dunking naturally warm up each chunk. Others look toward the microwave for a fast and convenient choice. Plus, the meat stays tender with a few simple steps.
First, Get the Crabs Ready ~ Take the crabs out of the cooler or fridge and allow them to gain room temperature. Get some paper towels and make them wet and wrap each crab in the towel. Moisture will stay ideal, and the meat will taste just as good as when the crab house steamed them!
Second, Turn on the Microwave! Place between 6-8 crabs in the microwave at a time. Crank it up to high and cook for 1-2 minutes. Carefully, unwrap the paper towel, possibly with tongs since the crabs will be piping hot.
Third, Time to Crack & Pick ~ Repeat the microwave steps as you load up plates. The key is the moist towel and not overcooking. It’s better to under-reheat, than to run the risk of serving crab jerky!
What’s the BEST way to pick Fat Crabs?
Keeping to a “Play-Book” style for picking crabs adds some competition, along with efficiency to the feast. Remember, you want a true celebration, so keep everyone excited with a heaping pile of crabs. Pile them high as a table centerpiece. Grab a crab and demonstrate prowess. Agilely remove all the legs and claws and set them aside. Watch your table and show how quick you prepare the crab. Pull up on the apron on the “belly side” and pry it off. Quickly insert your finger into the hole created by removing the apron and pry off the top shell. Can you combine these two steps into one snapping, quick move? That will show your skills. Crack the crab in equal halves and scrap away the gray inedible gills, and any other “mushy stuff”. Keep the green tomalley or liver as a “seasoning.” It actually tastes a bit like lobster. Share your knowledge of the green stuff, and impress the table, while you keep picking with focus. With a seafood fork, dislodge the lump and dip a few impressive chunks in hot butter as you tear into the crab. From the back end of the crab, pull out the large jumbo pieces. Impressive. Dip and eat as you pick. Then finally, pop the claws apart to get to the meat. No meat goes uneaten. Even the small legs. Crack them in half and syphon out the morsels. Then, grab another. Make sure you don’t go too fast. Enjoy and savor the moment!