The sweet, juicy meat of crabs is loved by children, as well as adults. Crab hors d'oeuvres and dishes are popular in many traditional cuisines.
The most delicious are river crabs that have been caught in the early days of fall. That is when their meat is most tasty. Certain rules are followed when preparing crabs, in order to retain the gentle structure and delicate taste of these aquatic inhabitants.
There are many recipes for crab preparation - they are boiled in either water or milk, sauteed in beer, fried in butter, used in the preparation of soups and soufflés.
If preparing freshly caught crabs, soak them for one hour in clean water, to more easily clean their shells from the mud. Then wash them with running water and put them in water with a little cream - this way the meat will become much more delicious.
The most popular way of preparing crabs is by boiling. In a deep pot, boil 8 1/3 cups of water, add 2 oz dill, 1 tablespoon black pepper peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of salt.
Boil the water another 3 min, then place the washed crabs in it. Once the water comes to a boil again, cook the crabs in it for 15 min. Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid and leave the crabs in it for another 10 min.
Crabs in wine sauce are incredibly good. In a pot, mix together 1 cup dry white wine and 1 cup of water. Let the mixture boil and add 2 bunches of dill and 2 bunches of rosemary, 1 finely sliced carrot and 1 finely sliced head of onion.
Throw in 20 crabs and boil them on medium heat for 20 min. Take out the crabs, strain the sauce from the boiling and combine it with 3 1/3 tbsp butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, black pepper and salt to taste. Heat the sauce on low heat for 2 min. and pour it over the crabs.
Fried crabs are also scrumptious. In a deep frying pan, combine 2 1/2 cups soya sauce, 2/3 cup hot sauce, add 2/5 cup oil and 2 finely chopped the garlic cloves. Heat the sauce up until it boils and put 20 crabs in it. Fry for 10 min, turning them over to fry on both sides.
