Crabs and Lobsters: Sweetness in a Shell!

As I write this, my belly is full of crustacean meat because we had King Crab for dinner. So I want to dedicate this post to some of my favorite delicacies, crabs and lobsters. 


The picture shows a Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus) that I saw in the Galapagos Islands. These pretty little crabs are not really used as human food because they are small, but they make good fishing bait. 


But this little beauty demonstrates some ideas that should be kept in mind when preparing crabs, lobsters, and other similar crustaceans for a meal.


1. These animals are usually sold live, frozen, or already cooked because once they die, their protein-breaking enzymes quickly break down their muscles, making them mushy. 


2. Since their muscles break down so quickly, crustaceans are best cooked quickly. That is why they are often dropped into boiling water while still alive. The meat heats quickly and the enzymes don't have enough time to make it mushy.


3. It has not been determined whether lobsters and crabs feel pain, however they do have a primitive nervous system. I always worry about this when I drop a live lobster into a pot of boiling water. So I was quite happy to discover that you can anesthetize these creatures by soaking them in iced salt water for thirty minutes prior to dropping them into the boiling water. I think it is a worthwhile precaution to take, just to make sure!


4. Lobsters and some other crustaceans turn red when boiled because the heat breaks down proteins surrounding carotenoid pigments. The carotenoid pigments provide red coloration, but they are masked when bound by the proteins, giving the organisms muted colors to blend with their surroundings. When the proteins are destroyed, the red coloration shows up. This helps us create some beautiful food presentations!


5. Since these creatures live in marine environments, they have amino acids in their cells to balance the salt water. Glycine is one that is common in crustacean cells and provides the sweetness in their meat that is so loved.


6.  Cooking the crustaceans in their shells helps keep flavor compounds in the meat. Also, the shell itself provides some protein, sugar, and pigment molecules to the meat which adds additional flavor.


Do you have any additional suggestions for working with crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters?