Frozen Whole Swimming Crab

A flat, wide-shelled coastal crab with a mottled blue-green carapace and sweet white meat in the claws and body. Each one is picked for weight, so the shell is full rather than hollow.

The Catch

Wild stock from inshore coastal water, taken in pots and iced on the boat. Crabs are hand-graded at the dock and any light or empty shell is rejected before freezing.

Specification

• Net weight — 2 kg per pack
• Count — four to six crabs per pack
• Size — 300 to 450 g per crab
• Form — whole, uncleaned, frozen in the shell

State

Frozen whole and raw. Freezing in the shell protects the meat, but it also means the crab must be cooked through from cold rather than briefly seared.

Storage and Thawing

Hold at -18 degrees Celsius or colder for up to six months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then scrub the shell under cold water and lift off the carapace before cooking. Do not thaw at room temperature; the meat in the body cavity spoils first.

On the Plate

• Steam whole with ginger and perilla for twelve to fifteen minutes.
• Chop into halves and stir-fry with scallion, ginger and hot oil.
• Simmer into a crab and tofu soup for a milky, sweet broth.
• Deep-fry in a light coating and toss with salt, pepper and chilli.

Discard the feathery gills and the stomach sac under the carapace before eating.

Shipping and Cold Chain

Ships frozen on a next-day service. Because the shell is a natural insulator, allow a full day in the refrigerator rather than a few hours on the counter.

Allergen: contains crustacean shellfish. Packed in a facility that also handles fish and molluscs.