Boil crabs should use hot or cold water?

Boiling crabs is not difficult, but not everyone knows how to keep the crabs fresh, flavorful, and not lose nutrients or dry meat after boiling.

Boil crabs should use hot or cold water?

Although boiling crabs is very simple, many people wonder why the finished dish is not delicious, the meat is not sweet, and the crabs even lose their claws. According to experienced chefs, using inappropriate water and temperature may be the cause.

So should you boil crabs with hot or cold water? The answer is that when you put the crabs in the pot, you should pour cold water, then turn on the stove. Cold water will make the crabs cook slowly and the crab's sweet juice will not be lost, preserving the flavor of the dish. When you enjoy it, you will find the crab meat more delicious and attractive.

If you use hot water to boil, the sudden increase in temperature will cause the crab to cook unevenly, causing a fishy smell, and the sweet juice inside will also flow out, reducing the deliciousness.

In addition, boiling crabs in hot water will cause their claws to fall off.

How to boil crab properly?

To make delicious boiled crab, first you need to buy fresh crabs. Fresh crabs are usually very healthy and agile.

Before boiling, you should put the crabs in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes or soak them in ice water. This will make them stunned, unable to move, and limit the loss of their claws when boiled.

When boiling, the pot lid should be left with a small gap to avoid sudden temperature differences, which can cause the crab to go into thermal shock and lose its claws.

Reasonable boiling time for large crabs is 15-20 minutes, small crabs and crabs is 10-15 minutes.

Some notes when boiling crab below will help make the dish more perfect:

- Add spices to the boiling water: You can add a little salt, lemongrass, fresh ginger to the boiling water to enhance the flavor of the crab. This not only makes the dish more delicious but also helps remove the fishy smell of the crab.

- Reasonable boiling time: Do not boil crabs for too long. Normally, for medium sized crabs, boiling time of 10 to 15 minutes is enough to cook the crab while still retaining its sweetness.

- Checking for doneness: To check if the crab is cooked or not, you can try to see if the crab shell has turned a bright orange-red color. In addition, you can also use chopsticks to check if the crab meat is cooked evenly.

How to choose good crab

- Observe the crab's apron: Choose crabs with a tight apron that is not loose. This ensures the crab is healthy and not hollow.

- Check the crab legs: Good crabs have sturdy legs that are not loose or falling off. The legs move flexibly and are not limp.

- Try squeezing the crab shell: If the crab shell is hard, has good elasticity, and does not dent when squeezed, the crab is full of meat.

- Observe the crab's belly: A bright belly with no bruises or black spots is a delicious crab.