Steamed Live Rock Crabs

I went to the Asian supermarket "Ranch 99" today (or is it "99 Ranch"??) and I bought 2 large Live Rock Crabs !!

They looked small when Jeff and I picked the crab out of the water tank,
bigger when we stuffed the crabs into plastic bags,
and gigantic when we took the crabs home and opened up the bags!!

I was so excited over eating fresh crabs, that I went camera crazy today.
Look how gigantic these beauties are!




















The crab with his giant claws, and me with my perfectly manicured claws, uh I mean, nails.

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The crab is bigger than my head! (He looked much smaller at the store)

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Jeff's crab is humongous too!
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Steamed Rock Crabs (with dumplings on the side)
*note*
I do not recommend boiling crabs and dumplings because all their flavors just run into the boiling water, and all you're left with is soaking wet, flavorless, crab and dumplings.
So unless you plan on drinking the boiled water,
I recommend steaming your crabs of dumplings instead.

Ingredients:
- 2 Crabs (or as many crabs as you want that fits in your steamer)
- 1 Steamer!

Instructions:
1. Wash the crabs clean

2. Pose and take a lot of pretty photos with the crabs

3. Place crabs in the steamer. Fill steamer up with water and turn on stove on high.


















hi-yah! Mortal Kombat Crabs!
(notice their interlocking claws)

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Mortal Kombat crabs, ready to be steamed! Hi-yah!
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Because I was using my 3 tiered steamer, but the crabs only occupied the middle tier,
I decided to put the top tier to use, by throwing some Asian dumplings !



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4. Before placing dumplings into steamer, be sure to oil the bottom of the steamer, to prevent the fragile dumpling skin from sticking to the steamer.

5. Cover the steamer!
























6. After the water boils, turn the heat down to a medium, and steam for about 15-20 minutes.

7. The dumplings are ready!



















8. Let's take a peek at the steaming crabs. Yum! Steaming hot!



















9. Bright orange, hot, and freshly steamed crabs on a platter



































How To Serve The Crabs:

The wonderful thing about eating crabs, is that they have their own natural seafoody flavor, so eating the crabs plain is always a delicious option.

Of course, crabs can always be eaten with dips and sauces such as:

Lime juice + Salt
1. Squeeze the juice out of some limes
2. Pour a pile of salt in the middle of the lime juice.
3. Serve lime juice in a dipping bowl


Hot Butter dip (not for the health conscious)
1. Melt butter on low heat over the stove.
2. Place butter in a dipping bowl
3. Dip crab meat into butter, or use a brush to lightly brush your crab with butter.


and now..... my all time favorite dip: .....
Crab Brain+Gut Dip
1. Crabs come with crab goo, located right under the shell of the crab. It's green and white and tastes so good.
2. This "crab goo" is naturally flavored, somewhat salty (from living in the salty sea!).
3. When you remove the crab shell from the body of the crab, turn the shell over and mix the goo. Dip your crab meat in this goo.
4. Not only does the crab supply his own flesh for your consuming entertainment, but the crab also supplies the dip for you too!


And here's Jeff, happily enjoying the crab, with the Crab Gut Dip!! (next to his left hand)


















YUMMY!

Picking out crabs, cooking crabs, de-shelling the crab, and eating the crab, makes both: a very fun meal and a really fun afternoon activity!!