Fish

Crab

Crab covers many swimming and walking species—blue, Dungeness, brown (edible), snow, king, mud, soft-shell—whose sweet white claw and body meat and richer brown meat define coastal luxury cooking. Live crabs should be lively; cooked meat should smell clean and sweet, never ammonia-like. Yield is low relative to live weight, which is why picked meat commands high prices. Boiling or steaming whole, then picking; stuffing shells; cakes, curries, soups, and cold dressed salads are classic paths. Soft-shell crabs are eaten whole after brief frying. Seasonality and local closed seasons matter for sustainability; pasteurised and frozen picked meat extend use but differ in texture from fresh. Match species to dish: brown crab for rich pâtés, snow and king for large sweet legs, blue crab for cakes and boils.