plaicemat Posted June 13, 2005 Report Share Posted June 13, 2005 O/k, where was everybody on Sunday. I was out on the water at 07.15 and seemed to have the bay to myself. I kept giving shouts on the radio and answer came there none. Eventually I managed to contact two other boats and went and joined Pal-o-Mine for a brief sorty at Ballard but, like the rest of the day, all to no avail. Virtually everybody I spoke to had blanked with not even mackerel making an appearance. On my fishfinder, the larder seemed bare. I desperation, I returned to the castle to ambush that big ol' bad bass again but the only thing at home was the biggest spider crab you have every seen. If anybody was out there and I missed them, I don't want to know that you had a bag full as this would demoralise me completely. If you were somewhere else, that's o/k. Congrats to the winners. I will be back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun j. Posted June 13, 2005 Report Share Posted June 13, 2005 Hi Terry, Do you always pick the windiest days ?? .......... Sat. was much nicer [ after a bumpy start on our trip to the Rips........ wouldn't have fancied it on Sun.]. What did you do with that crab? Big spiders are good to eat; the best meat on them is in the legs......... and the smaller one are often too thin. Alun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plaicemat Posted June 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Rats, I didn't realise they were edible and that one was a grut bigun. The next one won't get away. Does one just boil them the same as the edibles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueboatdriver Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Yeah that's right. Though there's not much of it, the brown meat in the shell is pretty good as well; the French go mad for Spiders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamouse Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Yeah that's right. Though there's not much of it, the brown meat in the shell is pretty good as well; the French go mad for Spiders Excuse me highjacking the thread, but can anyone clearly define what's edible and what's not inside the spider shell? No problem finding and dumping the gills, its the stomach contents that worry me. When the centre section is removed, you are looking at a mass of brown/green goop inside the shell. Is that all 'brown meat' or is some of it stomach? Worried of Ickenham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueboatdriver Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 The brown meat does look a bit inedible but if you refrigerate the body the meat solidifies and is easier to spot ( I think). I haven't eaten one for years. I worked out of France for a few years and you used to see the Frenchmen eating the meat straight out of the shell in the restaurants; they never seemed to have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun j. Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Hi enjoy your crabs !! Nothing is 'poisonous'!! I make a wonderful crab 'bisque' from little shorecrabs ...... boiled, chopped up whole; recooked with tomato garlic and herbs, strained and pressed through a seive. Back to big crabs ....... boil [ in salty water] , leave to cool, open and remove 'feathers' [gills] from the body/leg section and from the top shell push out the jaws and the stomach sac comes with it ....... all the rest is the yummy brown meat. Alun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plaicemat Posted June 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Wow, so easy! I've just told my wife that next time I go to Poole I'm going to try and get crabs. She wasn't impressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 During my days in Kingsbridge south devon, I used to hand pick two stone of crab a day for the pub and hotel market. I would collect live crabs from the fisherman, and stab each one in the mouth area, then place it face down into a large bin, then drive back to the prep room. By this time, they had bled, I would then bang them into boiling water for 24 mins +/-, and this did them to a tee.The crabs were then left on steel tables to cool, when cool, refrigerated overninght. This congealed all the brown meat. All the different leg sections would be removed, claws separated, into upper and lower knuckles, and shells split. The brown meat can be scooped out and mashed. All leg meat can be removed, it comes out easiest backwards, I usedthe narrow end of a teaspoon to flick the meat backwards, it gets the whole thing out in one, the premium price went to larger lumps of white meat for crab salads. Claws are the same, flick the meat out backwards. I could prep two stone between 0600 and 0930.......crack on lads!!!!!! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Rich I suppose its all down to practice and technique I find the one or two I get to be a bit tricky, when I get my next one I will give you a quick call for tips Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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