They have three pairs of legs and one pair of rear swimming legs which resemble paddles.Īnother characteristic separating males from females is the shape of the “apron” on the underside of the crab. Mature males have claw tips that are bright purple-blue and mature females have pincers that are bright red. Blue Crab Description ( Callinectes sapidus)ĭespite their name, blue crabs have a shell that is grayish-blue or olive-green and only their legs, swimmers, and claws are blue. Louisiana provides about 26% of the total blue crab harvest for the USA.
Soft Shell Crab (just molted male or female, not yet hard), Jimmy (adult male blue crab), Sook (adult female), Sally or Sallies or She-crabs (immature female), Hard Shells (not molting male or female), Peelers (about to molt), Busters (just started to molt), Sponge Crab or Sponges (females carrying eggs), Chesapeake Blue Crab or the Atlantic Blue Crab Soft Shell Crab Typical Wholesale Products Their Latin name – Callinectes sapidus – translates as “’beautiful savory swimmer”. It is so important and prized in that region that the blue crab is the Maryland state crustacean. Aboutīlue crabs are a highly prized and much sought-after shellfish both by commercial and recreational fishermen, and it is the most valuable fishery in the Chesapeake Bay region. The most common cooking methods include: breading or battering, sauteing, deep frying, baking, broiling, grilling, or steaming. Now turn it over and remove the triangular or domed plate at the back of the belly. Next, gently raise the shell and remove the feathery gills…replace the shell. Using a pair of scissors cut off the front of the crab about ¼” behind the eyes. This will make the next part of the process quick and painless. Chill the crab in the refrigerator or freezer until they go dormant from the cold. But if you have fresh crab then you will want to clean them as follows. If you purchase frozen Soft Shell Crab, then they should already be dressed and ready to cook. Image source: Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Preparation The soft shells are orange-red in color, the body meat is white, and the claw meat is beige. The meat is sweet, briny, and buttery in texture. The shell adds a bit of “crunch” and has a fried rice paper-like texture and an earthier flavor component. This adds complexity of flavor and texture, but a milder crab taste. And although it does taste like crab, it is a milder crab flavor than simply eating the meat of other crab, because you are eating meat, shell and all. Eating Soft Shell Crab is a uniquely different experience than eating Dungeness or any other crab because you are eating the shell and all.
Soft Shell Crab aka Blue Crab Culinary Profile Soft Shell Crab Flavor Profileīlue Crab is more commonly called Soft Shell Crab because that is the most commercially sought-after part of the crab’s life cycle.
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