When in season dressed crab are one of the most popular items on our counter. For good reason, what could be nicer than a fresh crab that is delicious, ready to eat and all the prep work is done!
What Is A Dressed Crab?
The dressed crabs on our counter are brown crabs from waters around the UK. These large crabs are known for the excellent flavour of the meat. Typically we source our crabs from Cornwall sometimes from Scotland – depending on the best quality available in the market. Brown crab are also known as “common crab” or the “edible crab”.
Inside the shell, the cooked crab has two types of meat. White crab meat comes from the claws and legs of the crab and is a pearly white colour and has a reddish brown fringe on the edges. White meat has a naturally flaky texture, it is very low in fat and particularly high in protein. It is prized for a sweetness of flavour and aroma. The brown crab meat has an smooth pâté like texture and a rich full flavour. The colour and texture of the brown meat vary throughout the year,
The best grade of crab meat is “handpicked”. This is the method we use at Walter Purkis & Sons. The fresh crab has been processed by hand, carefully removing the meats from claws and shell. This ensures the flavour and texture of the crab meat is the best it can be.
Dressing a crab involves removing all of the meat from the crab, separating it into the white and brown meat. The meat is then presented inside the shell usually with the white meat at the sides and the brown in the middle.
Eating Dressed Crab
Like many seafoods simple is the very best way to eat these tasty seasonal treats. You can eat dressed crab straight away from the shell. Garnish with parsley and serve with some mayonnaise on the side, along with a lemon wedge and buttered brown bread or toast. Nothing else needed.
If you would like to use it as an ingredient we have lots of tasty crab recipes and cooking inspiration here >>
We also sell whole fresh crabs if you would like to do your own picking.
