The name of the edible crab speaks for itself. It is the most widely consumed crab in Western Europe because of its wide availability and large amount of tasty, edible meat. Just so that you are entirely sure that it is edible, it has a pie-crust-shaped edging to its shell. Together with its bulky, round, brown carapace, this makes it look somewhat like a pie with legs and black-tipped pincers. Indeed, that same bulky carapace makes it a popular subject of fisheries in the North Sea, the north-east Atlantic and some of the Mediterranean. Indeed, the brown crab is meaty and valuable, with a long history of fishing in Bridlington and beyond.
History of the brown crab
The brown crab, or cancer pagurus was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in his Systema Naturae. This was the work which originally defined zoological nomenclature, or the way all animals have two Latin names according to their species and family. This shows how far back studies of the brown crab go.
Literally translated, the name Cancer Pagurus means ‘crab fish’. While the species is caught and eaten throughout Western Europe, it is mainly fished around the UK. This is partly because its range extends all the way around the nation. But it is also because many fishing towns like Bridlington have invested time and money in sustainably developing and maintaining the crab’s habitat and fishery. This is why around 24,000 tonnes of crab were landed in the UK in 2023.
Time for a real introduction?
Take a look at the rock pools around Bridlington and Flamborough and it will not be long before you get a real introduction to a young brown crab. (It’s best not to call them edible to their faces). The intertidal zones on rock beaches along most of the Yorkshire coast are used as nurseries for juvenile crabs. The best thing to do is to leave them alone to let them grow up. Don’t worry, there are strict rules limiting crab fisheries to catching larger, fully mature crabs and crab pots are designed to let smaller specimens escape.
How does a brown crab taste?
This crustacean is called the edible crab partly because of the large amount of sweet meat to be found in them. This can account for a third of their weight. Of this, there is a lot of extra-sweet white meat in their claws and a mix of white meat and richer, oilier brown meat in their carapaces. The rich flavour goes well with the sharp taste of lemon or tartar sauce.
How do you cook brown crab?
The good news is that it is not hard to cook a brown crab. Boiling the crab in salted water with a couple of bay leaves added is simple and tasty. Start with room-temperature water and bring the crab to a boil in it. Then allow it to boil for 20 minutes for a 1-1.5 kg crab. Add 3 minutes for every extra 500g of weight or take off 3 minutes if you have a small crab weighing under a kilo.
When your crab is cooked, turn it upside-down and twist off the claws and legs. Then use your fingers to push the stomach and leg sockets up off the shell, taking the internal body with them. When you have the inside of the crab’s body, remove the feathery, grey gills, or dead man’s fingers, which can give you a nasty stomach upset. The rest of the white and brown meat should be edible.
Bear in mind – If you are not certain that your crab is dead when you get it, place it in iced water for 30 minutes to put it to sleep humanely.
You can also dress a crab to create a delicious and traditional British dish. Keep an eye on this blog to learn how to do that soon. In the meantime, enjoy your boiled crab with some crusty bread, lemon and tartar or marie-rose sauce. Alternatively, download our crab cake recipes for a tasty treat.