How To Cook a Crab Whole

Instructions

1. Once you have prepared your sedated crab (as shown left), bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil (about 25–30g salt per 1 litre of water).
2. Put the crab into the pan of boiling water, ensuring it is completely covered in water, then cover the saucepan with a lid and bring the water back to the boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer and gently cook for about 10–15 minutes per 500g, until the crab turns deep orange. A small to medium crab will take about 15 minutes; a larger one will take 20 minutes or more. A crab over 1kg will take about 25 minutes.
3. Once cooked, remove the crab from the water and place in a bowl. Leave to drain and cool completely before further preparation.