Everything You Need to Know About Snow Crab

In early April, snow crab is the first Quebec seafood item to hit the fish market. At IGA, we spotlight it when it is at its best: caught in season, prepared with care and known for its prime freshness—it’s an invitation to take full advantage of this bounty of the sea.

Easier To Prepare Than You Think
Abundant in Quebec waters, snow crab seduces with its fine, delicate, subtly sweet flesh. While it is often associated with large tables, we sometimes forget how easy it is to integrate it into everyday meals.

Already cooked at the fish market and easy to shell, it lends itself to both simple and more elaborate recipes. Thanks to the advice of the IGA fishmongers, it’s easy to choose, prepare and serve snow crab.

Tips From your Fishmonger

Purchase

Snow crab is generally offered cooked, already separated into practical sections. Plan 2 or 3 sections, about 680 g (1.5 lb) per person, for a meal and 1 or 1 1/2 sections (340 g) for an appetizer.

Peeling the Crab

The Right Tools:

Seafood scissors are more effective and safer than a knife for cutting the shells.
Shellfish tongs are handy for breaking claws.
Curettes or shellfish forks are ideal for dislodging flesh.

Where the Flesh Is

The edible part is concentrated in the claws, the legs and at the junction between the legs and the shell.

How to Do It

Detach the legs by twisting and then pulling gently.
Split the shell lengthwise with sturdy scissors (or a knife) and remove the flesh with a fork.
Break off the claws and joints with shellfish tongs, then scoop out the flesh with a curette.

The ABCs of Successful Snow Crab

If the crab legs are cooked...

Place the crab legs in a steamer placed on a pot of boiling salted water (to taste) and heat for 6 minutes.
You can also boil them in salted water (to taste) for 5 to 7 minutes.
To bake in the oven, wrap them in aluminum foil and reheat them for 8 to 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

If your crab is alive...

You can ask your fishmonger to prepare it for you.
They can section and clean it by removing the inedible parts, which will simplify the task once you get home.
If you choose to bring it home live, it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator, without freshwater, in a container covered with a damp cloth to maintain moisture.
Under these conditions, it will keep for 12 to 24 hours.

Before cooking, we recommend breaking down the crab, as its body isn’t edible and certain parts can alter the taste and colour of the meat. To do so, detach the legs by twisting them, then remove the gills and any impurities as needed. Then cook the sections much like lobster, in a large pot of boiling salted water, for 12 to 15 minutes after it returns to a boil. Once cooked, the legs will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Gourmet tips

Crab is often eaten plain, in its simplest form or dipped in butter. Here are a few gourmet tips to prepare it differently:

Crab Bloody Mary. Nothing could be simpler: prepare your favourite version of the famous cocktail and, when it’s time to add the garnishes, replace the celery stalk with one or two crab legs! Serve with the necessary utensils... and lots of napkins.

Sautéed Crab Legs.In a skillet, sauté the crab in a mixture of Cajun or jerk spices and butter. Add about 60 ml (1/4 cup) of liquid to create vapour and mix well. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes at 200°C (400°F), until the crab is hot and full of flavour. When you take it out of the oven, squeeze with lemon juice... and enjoy!

Crab Roll. A simple recipe! Roughly chop the crab meat and mix it with a splash of mayonnaise, chopped celery leaves and minced green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve in a toasted hot dog bun for a taste of summer guaranteed!

Tasty Sauces

Lemon Dill Butter

Dill is the quintessential spring herb for seafood.

Preparation: Melt the butter over a very low heat with the zest of a lemon and plenty of chopped fresh dill. For a smoother texture, whisk a little lemon juice directly into the hot butter until emulsified.

Yogurt and Herb Sauce

Fresh and light, it highlights the sweetness of the crab.

Preparation: Mix plain yogurt with finely chopped lemon juice, dill and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cajun Butter

Inspired by a crab boil, this spicy butter brings warmth and character without masking the delicate taste of crab.

Preparation: Melt butter with garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of Cajun spices. Mix and serve immediately.

Tartar Sauce

A timeless classic that is always a winner.

Preparation: Combine finely chopped mayonnaise, pickles, capers and onion. Serve chilled.

Grapefruit Butter

The acidity of the citrus brings freshness and finesse to the sweet flesh of the snow crab.

Preparation: Gently melt butter over very low heat. Off the heat, add a little grapefruit zest and a few drops of juice, then lightly salt. Mix and serve immediately.

Storing

Cooked crab sections will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator. Crab meat freezes well for up to a month, but loses some water when thawed, which changes the texture. Nevertheless, it remains an excellent choice for salads or crab cakes!

Did you know?

Some Amazing Facts About Snow Crab

A Long-Living Crustacean Contrary to what you might think, the snow crab can live up to twenty years. An astonishing longevity for such a prized seafood.

Males Larger than Females Adult males impress with their size: with their legs, they can reach a wingspan of almost one metre. However, smaller females play an essential role in reproduction.

A Shell That Changes Over Time Like all crabs, it grows by moulting. After each moult, its shell remains soft for 8 to 10 months, a key stage in its development.

Eggs Carried for Many Months Females carry their eggs under the abdomen for one to two years before hatching. It’s a long and impressive reproductive cycle.

Cold Lovers Snow crabs like very cold seabeds, often below 3°C, and live at different depths, far from the surface.

An Important Part of the Marine Ecosystem They feed on small marine organisms, but also serve as prey for several species, such as certain fish and marine mammals.

Traps Designed to Protect Snow crab fisheries use conical and selective traps. Females and crabs that are too small can enter and leave freely, which helps to preserve populations.

A Low-Impact Fishing Method Placed on the seabed rather than dragged, these traps are known to have a limited impact on fish habitat, compared to other fishing techniques.

To learn more about snow crab fishing and discover other recipes, check out our article: https://www.iga.ca/articles/discovering_snow_crab