Added: 11/12/2005 |
Crabs ? why to eat and how to cookIn order to cook crabs properly, you should take a deeper look at crabs and learn to distinguish males from females, and one crab species from another, as sometimes crab recipes require this knowledge. Many recipes require female crabs, hence, be ready to tell who is who. This is actually easy. The female has a broad, triangular-shaped area in the center of the shell, whereas the male has a distinctive, elongated spire in the center.
Why to eat crabs? First, only for the reason they are delicious. If you have never tried a crab cake, you really know nothing about crab eating. Find the recipe and try to cook it; it will become your favorite for ever. The second and the most vital point about eating crabs is their importance to the human health. Crabs and other shellfish are good sources of chromium, which works with insulin in the metabolism of sugar, helping the body to maintain a normal blood glucose level. Researches indicate that chromium helps to raise the levels of HDL (or "good" cholesterol), which reduces the risk of coronary artery diseases and strokes. Thus, you see that eating crabs is especially beneficial for diabetics.
Crabs and shellfish also contain considerable amounts of selenium, a trace element of critical importance that works as an antioxidant, detoxifying potentially carcinogenic substances, such as mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which could lead to tumors. The studies in this sphere show that test patients with the highest blood selenium level have the lowest cancer rates. It also helps to protect against heart and circulatory diseases. Lysate, an extract of the horseshoe crab's blue blood, is used in the fight against cancer and to detect spinal meningitis.
Using vitamins and minerals as treatments at home, you must consult your physician, as it is easy to overdose yourself, when eating crabs or any other beneficial food product, the overdose is impossible.
How to cook crabs? Variously, as your fantasy suggests. A traditional method of cleaning and cooking crabs includes the following.
Prior to cooking, keep crabs alive by keeping them cool and dry. You can put them live in a refrigerator or in a cooler with a small amount of ice. Never put crabs into a container of water, as they will die quickly from lack of oxygen. Crabs, which have been dead for a while, spoil very rapidly and it is better to discard these crabs. Crabs that have been chilled may appear dead but will begin showing movement as they warm up. If you do not detect the movement after warming, discard the crab.
You may cook live crabs without cleaning on the steam or clean live crabs before cooking by removing the top shell, abdomen, gills and internal organs.
You will need a large double boiler for steam cooking. You should pour the water in the lower pot and wait until it boils. Then place the crabs in the upper pot so that the crabs are not covered with water, season with salt and spices. The process of cooking generally takes twenty to thirty minutes, producing a well-cooked crab with an orange color and meat that has a firm white texture.
When you have learned the rudiments of the crab culinary art, try more recipes, which are abundant; and you will add much to your creative home cooking and menu.
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