How to prepare Blue Swimmer Crabs
Learn how to prepare Blue Swimmer Crabs with an easy step-by-step guide, complete with helpful photos and video from a former fishmonger
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large Blue swimmer crab
Instructions
- Turn the crab on its belly and you'll see the abdomen flap. It should flip up with ease, place a thumb in the centre of where the flap was and pull the crab open. Remove the top shell completely from the body of the crab.
- To remove the innards, either use a paper towel or rinse with a small amount of water, using your fingers to help extract the guts. Don't submerge the crab in water because its flesh may absorb the water. Optional - rinse out the top shell and keep for presentation.
- Remove the gills on the left and right of the crab, then cut off the part that looks like eyes.
- Optional - Use a large sharp knife to cut the crap in the middle, divide the legs and claws evenly, then cut into quarters. To avoid the flesh from popping out, insert the knife blade in the same direction as the crab's body when slicing through it.
- Use a crab cracker to break through sections of the legs and claws. This will make it easier to access the flesh and enhance the flavour, ideal for stir-frying the crab in sauce. If you don't have a cracker, use the back of a large sturdy knife to crack the shells.
Notes
How to store Blue swimmer crabs?
For the best flavour and food safety reasons, it's recommended to cook the crabs within 1 to 2 days of purchase. If the crabs are alive, place them in a well-ventilated container with a damp newspaper or a wet towel at the bottom and store in a cool place. If the crabs are no longer alive, place them in a container on top of a sealed bag of ice and store in the fridge.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 CrabCalories: 105kcalProtein: 23gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1045mgPotassium: 255mgVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 1mg