How to Pick and Cook Fresh Crab from Devon

Why Devon Crab Deserves Your Attention

Devon crab is one of the great treats of the English coast. Landed from Brixham, Dartmouth and small coves along the South West peninsula, it has a sweet, delicate flavour that stands apart from imported crab. The cold, clean waters around Devon produce brown crab with firm white meat in the claws and legs, and rich, dark brown meat in the body. Much of it is landed by day boats and rushed to market, so if you buy from a good fishmonger you are tasting something close to its source. You do not need heavy sauces or complicated recipes. A little lemon, good mayonnaise and brown bread will do more than enough.

How to Choose a Fresh Crab

Fresh crab is sold either live, cooked whole, or as picked meat. Each has its own rules.

• Live crab: It should feel heavy for its size and move its legs when you pick it up. A limp or foul-smelling crab is past its best. Hens have a broad, rounded abdomen and more brown meat; cocks have narrower abdomens and larger claws with more white meat. Ask your fishmonger to dispatch and cook it if you are not confident doing it at home.
• Cooked whole crab: The shell should be bright orange-red, not dull or patchy. Lift it: it should feel heavy. The legs should be stiff, not rubbery or loose. Smell it: fresh crab smells of the sea, not ammonia or stale fish. Avoid any crab with black spots, dry patches or a strong fishy odour.
• Picked crab meat: Buy from a counter with a high turnover. White meat should be glistening and sweet-smelling; brown meat should be rich and glossy. If it looks dry, watery or grey, leave it.

If you buy live crab, keep it cool and damp, covered with seaweed or a wet cloth, and cook it the same day. Cooked crab should be eaten within 24 to 48 hours and kept in the coldest part of the fridge.

Preparing and Cooking Your Crab

If you have bought a live crab and plan to cook it yourself, chill it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes first. This numbs it and makes handling safer. Bring a very large pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Use about 4 litres of water for a 1kg crab, and add a splash of vinegar if you like. Lower the crab in head first, cover, and return to the boil.

Cook for roughly 15 minutes for the first kilogram, then add 5 minutes for each extra 500g. A 1.5kg crab will need about 20 to 22 minutes; a 2kg crab about 25 to 30 minutes. The shell will turn bright orange-red. Do not overcook it, or the white meat will turn rubbery. When it is done, lift it out and let it cool completely. If you have bought a cooked crab, skip this stage and go straight to picking.

Picking the Meat Without Waste

Work over a large bowl or tray. Twist off the legs and claws. Crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife or a crab cracker, then use a pick to draw out the meat. Keep white meat in one bowl and brown meat in another.

Turn the crab over and pull away the abdomen flap. Push the body out of the main shell. Remove and discard the greyish gills, sometimes called dead man's fingers, and the small stomach sac near the head. Scoop the brown meat from the shell and body into its bowl. Finally, crack the legs and pick out every last piece of white meat. Do not rinse the white meat under water, as this washes away flavour. A little patience here rewards you with clean, sweet crab.

Serving Simply: Lemon, Mayonnaise and Brown Bread

The best way to serve Devon crab is also the simplest. Pile the white meat into a bowl or back into the cleaned shell. Serve with a wedge of lemon, a generous spoonful of good mayonnaise, and thinly sliced brown bread and butter. Add a pinch of white pepper or a little chopped parsley if you like, but let the crab lead.

For a classic dressed crab, mix the brown meat with a few fresh breadcrumbs, a squeeze of lemon and a little mayonnaise. Spoon it into the shell, then arrange the white meat on top. Serve it cold with a sharp watercress and cucumber salad. Brown meat also makes excellent toast: spread it on hot buttered toast with a squeeze of lemon. White meat is lovely in a simple crab sandwich with mayonnaise and a little lemon zest. Whatever you choose, eat it the day you pick it if you can, and keep the mayonnaise and lemon close. That is Devon on a plate.