This family of shellfish is truly enormous and includes crabs, lobsters, crayfish, and prawns and shrimps. They can be virtually any shape or size, their distinguishing feature being that their skeleton (carapace) is on the outside, concealing a soft and delicious flesh. Crustaceans may require considerable effort to prepare, cook and eat, but they are well worth it.
CRABS
There are dozens of varieties of crab, ranging from the hefty common crabs that will make a meal for several people, to the tiny shore crabs that are the size of a fingernail, and are good only for making soups. Crabs travel many hundreds of kilometers (miles) in a year from feeding to spawning grounds, and are often caught in baited pots sited on the seabed far from shore. As crabs outgrow their shells, they shed them. They then grow a new carapace, which, at first, is soft. These soft-shell crabs are a delicacy and can be eaten whole. Female crabs, which are known as hens, have sweeter flesh than the males, but they are smaller and their claws contain less flesh.
BLUE CRAB
These have steel-gray bodies and bright, electric blue legs and claws. They are found in American waters along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts, and are highly prized for their white meat.
SOFT-SHELL CRABS
These blue crabs have shed their hard carapaces, leaving them deliciously tender, with sweet creamy flesh. They are extremely delicate and do not keep or travel well, so they are generally sold frozen, although you may find fresh, soft-shell crabs in the United States in the summer months.
COMMON EDIBLE OR BROWN CRAB
These are the best-known edible crabs, found on Atlantic coasts and parts of the Mediterranean. They are the perfect crabs for boiling to serve cold with mayonnaise. Their claws contain plenty of firm meat. As well as serving cold with a dressing, they are also delicious deep-fried.
DUNGENESS OR CALIFORNIA CRAB
These trapezium-shaped crabs are found all along the Pacific coast. Similar to common edible crabs, they can be cooked and eaten in the same way.
KING CRAB
Looking like gigantic spiny spiders, king crabs are hideous to look at. But very good to eat. A mature male king crab can weigh up to 12 kg/26 lb and measure 1 m/39 in across. Their triangular bodies are bright red with a pale creamy underside. Only male king crabs are sold. The flesh is delicious and is one of the few crab meats that can be successfully canned.
SPIDER CRAB
These pink crabs have spiny shells and long, slender legs, which make them look like spiders. Those found along Atlantic coasts measure about 20 cm/8 in across, but those found in Japanese waters measure up to 40 cm/16 in.
SNOW CRAB
Also known as queen crabs, these crabs from the North Pacific have roundish, pinkish-brown bodies and very long legs. The delicious, sweet flesh is difficult to remove from the body, but the claw meat is more accessible. Snow crab meat is usually sold frozen or canned.
STONE CRAB
Similar in appearance to king crabs, stone crabs live at great depths. They have a superb flavor, but are usually sold frozen or canned rather than fresh.
SWIMMING CRAB
The main distinguishing feature of swimming crabs is their extra pair of legs, shaped rather like paddles. Among the many species of swimming crabs are mud or mangrove, shore and velvet crabs. Shore crabs are eaten in Italy in their soft-shelled state, they also make delicious soup. Mud crabs, with their excellent claw meat, are popular in Australia and Southeast Asia.
Buying and Cooking
Always buy live crab whenever possible, so that you can be absolutely sure of freshness. A crab is normally cooked by dropping it into boiling water. An alternative, and possibly more humane way, is to put the live crab in cold water and slowly bring the water to boiling point. Once the crab is cooked the crab meat can be used in numerous ways. The sweet, succulent meat is rich and filling, so it needs a light touch when cooking it.
Recipes include devilled crab, where the meat is removed from the shell and cooked with mustard, horseradish, spices and breadcrumbs, crab mornay in which the meat is combined with a Gruyere cheese sauce enriched with sherry and mushrooms; and potted crab. The flesh marries well with clean Asian flavors such as lime juice, coriander (cilantro) and chili; combined with these, it makes the perfect summer salad. Crab meat is excellent in fish cakes such as Thai crab cakes. It also makes excellent soup: a classic Scottish dish is partan bree, a creamy crab soup made with fish stock, milk and rice. In the shell, crab can be boiled and served with mayonnaise, steamed with aromatic or baked with ginger and spring onions. Soft-shell crabs may be lightly coated in flour and deep-fried. Molecchie fritte is a Venetian specialty in which the crabs are soaked in beaten egg before being fried. In China, soft-shell crabs are served with a spicy garnish of chili or fresh root ginger.
LOBSTER
This is the ultimate luxury seafood. The uniquely firm, sweet flesh of lobster has a delicious flavor and many people regard them as the finest crustaceans of all. The best lobsters live in cold waters, scavenging for food on the rocky seabed. Like crabs, they moult every couple of years, casting off their outgrown shells. Their color varies according to their habitat, from steely blue to greenish-brown to reddish-purple, all turn brick-red when cooked Lobsters must be bought live or freshly boiled. The powerful pincers that they use for catching and crushing prey can be dangerous. If you buy a live lobster, make sure that the pincers are secured with a stout rubber band.
CANADIAN OR AMERICAN LOBSTER
The hardiest species of lobster, these are found in large numbers in the waters around Canada and the North American Atlantic the Maine lobster is probably the best-known. They resemble the European lobster, but are greener in color and the claws are slightly rounder and fleshier. Although these lobsters make excellent eating, their flavor does not quite match that of the European lobster.
EUROPEAN LOBSTER
Coming from England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway and the Brittany coast in France, these lobsters are regarded as having the finest flavor of all. They have distinctive blue-black coloring and are sometimes speckled with bright blue. European lobsters are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. During the more fruitful summer months, they are often held as livestock in massive holding tanks built into the sea.
SLIPPER/SQUAT LOBSTER
There are over fifty species of these warm-water lobsters. They have wide, flattened bodies and spindly clawed legs. The best-known squat lobsters are the Australian "bugs", which include the Balmain and Moreton Bay bugs. The comparatively small tails contain deliciously sweet flesh. Squat lobsters are seldom sold in Europe, but can occasionally be found in France, where they are called cigales (grasshoppers). The Italians call them Cicala di mare and in Spain they are called cigarra.
Buying
Live lobsters should smell very fresh and still be lively and aggressive when picked up. The tails should spring back sharply when they are opened out. Check that the lobster has both its claws- if one is missing, make sure the price is reduced. Live lobsters should be cooked on the day you buy them. If you cannot pop them straight into the cooking pot, wrap them in the slightly wet newspaper or cover with a very damp dishtowel and keep in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Lobsters are often sold cooked, but it is preferable to buy them live and cook them yourself. Always buy cooked lobsters from a reputable supplier, The color of the lobster should be vibrant, and it should feel heavy for its size, The tail should be tightly curled under the body. Allow 450 g/1 lb lobster per person.
Cooking
There is very little in the lobster that is inedible only the stomach sac, a small transparent bag that will probably have grit or sand in it, and the thin, dark intestinal system that runs the length of the body and can be removed with the point of a knife. Do not discard the tomalley, the creamy grey -green liver, which has an exquisite flavor. All types of lobster are best cooked simply to really enjoy their delicate flavor. They can be boiled in salted water or in a court bouillon and served hot with melted butter or cold with mayonnaise. A boiled lobster can be the crowning glory of a seafood platter. They can also be grilled (broiled) or fried in the shell with oil and butter.
Classic French cookery has many rich lobster recipes that reflect the luxurious quality of these crustaceans. These dishes, which are usually served with rice to offset include
Lobster new burg, with a cognac and sherry-flavored cream sauce: lobster bretonne, with prawns (shrimp) and mushrooms in a white wine sauce; and lobster Thermidor, with its luxury Bechamel sauce flavored with shallots. Tarragon, chervil and white wine. Lobster is superb with fresh pasta. It can be used as a filling for ravioli, or tossed into tagliolini with plenty of lemon juice and butter, Cold boiled lobster can be diced and made into a lobster cocktail, or added to a salad. More modern recipes combine lobster with Asian flavors, such as ginger, lemon grass and star anise, but these spices should be used in moderation to avoid overpowering the delicate flavor of the lobster.
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