High-quality imitation: examination of crab meat. Crab fishing. Where, what and how to catch crabs Crab meat - how to choose

Surimi is a semi-finished product made from white fish, it has a thick consistency and is almost odorless. Not every fish is suitable for making surimi. Fish meat should be white and have minimal fat content. The best options are mackerel, pollock, hake, whiting. Essentially, surimi is a concentrated protein from fish meat, obtained by purifying fresh fillets of blood, fat and enzymes. Often used to imitate seafood dishes, various dyes and spices are added.

The packages of all samples indicate that they contain “imitation.” IN "Dixie" clarifies that this is “imitation seafood meat”, in Vici- “imitation from surimi.” At the same time, minced surimi fish is listed in all five samples. There are also phosphates, monosodium glutamate (except Vici), sodium sorbate (in sample "Dixie"). And microstructural (histological) analysis showed that the samples correspond to the composition data indicated in the labeling. So when purchasing, you can be guided by what is indicated on the package; the main thing is to carefully read the label and pay attention to the full list of ingredients.

Worth mentioning is the fact that in the sample Vici Glutamic acid is the only one in the composition that is not indicated, but the examination determined that its relative content is at the same level as in other samples. Therefore, its presence cannot be excluded, although in fairness it must be said that the content of glutamic acid in Vici only slightly exceeds that characteristic of natural fish.

Crabs, belonging to the arthropods, are considered the highest crustaceans of the order of the same name. They are found almost everywhere on our planet. The sea crab has five pairs of legs, with the first of them evolving into two powerful claws. The sizes of these short-tailed crayfish or Brachyura, as they are scientifically called, vary depending on the species. Typically, the sea crab has a shell ranging from two to thirty centimeters wide, although larger specimens are also found.

Being close relatives of crayfish, Brachyura differs from their relatives primarily in the absence of a tail-abdomen. In fact, it is present in crabs, but it is very small and tucked under the chest. The sea crab failed to transform into a purely terrestrial arthropod. His life is closely connected with the water element, only in which he can reproduce. There are about four hundred in nature. Almost all of them live in water and, like fish, breathe with the help of gills. Some crabs move more along the seabed, others swim on the surface of the sea, and there are those who live under rocks on the coast.

Many Brachyura are edible: their meat is highly prized. It is not only rich in proteins, but also contains very little fat. Crabs are found on rocky European coasts, where they are caught in large quantities.

However, the best commercial species has long been the Kamchatka crab. It can be found in the seas of the Far East - Okhotsk, Japan and Bering. Due to its incredibly tasty and tender meat, Kamchatka sea crab has become an object of industrial fishing. But currently its population has sharply decreased, so zoologists are making attempts to breed it in artificial conditions. The crabs living in the waters of the Black Sea are also diverse. However, they have no commercial value.

It must be said that fishing and catching Brachyura are completely different processes from each other. Nevertheless, catching crabs is no less interesting than pulling a trophy specimen of any fish out of the water. There are several ways to catch these short-tailed crayfish. The sea crab hides under stones far from noisy crowded places. Many amateurs, wearing a mask and fins, dive to a shallow depth and, having found it, place it in a fishing tank made of durable material. This type of crab fishing is more suitable for tourists on vacation, for example, on the Black Sea. It should be remembered that Brachyura has quite sharp claws, so it is better to use thick gloves.

Using the potty

This special crab trap is a container made of wire. It is practically a metal mesh stretched over the rims. The pot has an entrance called the "neck". It is into this that the prey enters to feast on the bait. The pot is designed in such a way that even if you get into it. The crabs are unable to gain access to it, and they can no longer leave the trap.

The pot is believed to have been invented in 1920 by Benjamin F. Lewis. It is considered the most common method for catching crabs and is widely used throughout the world. A crab trap in the form of a pot is lowered several meters deep with the help of a rope. If there are crabs in this place, then after half an hour the catch is guaranteed.

Fishing with trot

A hunter who chooses this fishing method needs to know several secrets. Catching crab with a trot, although it requires some effort and time spent, nevertheless it gives you the opportunity to count on a rich catch. Let's consider this method in more detail. Trot is a line that is anchored between buoys along with bait. The installation process is quite labor-intensive, but this type of crab fishing always gives good results. Arthropods capture the bait while remaining on the line. Catching crab on a trot requires not only skill, but also the necessary attributes. For it you will need: a boat, a fishing tank, several buoys (from two to five pieces), thick gloves, bait, hooks, an anchor, an ice box in which the prey is placed, rope and fishing line.

Features of fishing with trot

First of all, you need to go out to sea on a boat and install a main line. This cannot be done from the shore. To do this, two buoys are connected to each other with a fishing line approximately one meter long. Then, a line with an anchor is attached to one of them. Hooks with bait are attached to the fishing line. Crabs are active in the mornings and late evenings. It is during this period that they should be collected. To do this, take a fishing cage into which the crabs removed from the bait are carefully placed. Be sure to use gloves. Experienced crabbers install several trots with different types of baits at once.

The best time to set up this gear is the morning after a hot and muggy night, as this is when the crabs are most active. The trot is removed in the first half when the prey is more lethargic and less likely to break free from the line when pulled. Experienced crabbers say that this gear should be installed parallel to the shore in those places where the bottom drops far. Typically these are areas between depths of five and twelve feet.

Bait selection

Crab fishing primarily depends on the right bait. Usually, many professionals conduct an experiment by placing different baits in a pot. The crab loves frozen fish, chicken necks, various shellfish or raw meat. He rarely refuses them. Frozen fish is best because it breaks down quickly, unlike fresh fish, which attracts prey. Commercial crabbers consider eels to be the best bait, but in our country this is a somewhat expensive “pleasure.”

Mining by hand

Crab fishing with this method is best done near the shore near reefs, as well as under large rocks, where these arthropods often crawl. When there are no waves, catching them is not particularly difficult. The most suitable time for catching crabs using this method is considered to be morning or twilight.

If a person decides to catch Brachyura this way, then he will need a folding knife. Having discovered the place where this arthropod is hiding, you need to slip a blade there so that it grabs onto it, and then sharply pull it out. It is better to fish not alone, but with an assistant. In this case, one throws the crab with a knife, and the other immediately catches it in a net.

Industrial catching

Since 1994, experimental crab fishing began in our country, and since 2004, industrial fishing. Today, fishing is carried out mainly in the Barents and Norwegian seas. According to experts, in 2016 it amounted to thirty percent of the world catch for this type of fishing. The catch quota changes from year to year. There were years when it was even banned. Crab fishing today, despite the danger of the process, is attractive to many fishermen. After all, the valuable meat of this arthropod is highly valued. You can easily catch only those types of crabs that are of no value for sale, for example, marbled crabs or swimming swimmers.

Catching rare species

The Bering Sea is home to one of the rarest species, which is a delicacy. Its meat is of very high value. Reds are only caught for a very short time - just a week. Many people call this period the “gold rush”, since, regardless of weather conditions, almost all fishermen go out to sea to hunt. Conditions for catching king crab are extremely dangerous, but that doesn't stop anyone. Every year, crab fishing in the Barents Sea during this season takes the lives of up to ten or more people.

Recently, a new method of capture began to be used off the coast of Kamchatka. Some amateurs catch crab with a very ordinary fishing rod. Fresh fillets of cod or other fish are used as bait on the hook. The Kamchatka crab is a strong follower of instincts, so it does not let go of the swallowed bait even when the fisherman pulls it out of the sea. It must be said that such crab fishing is carried out solely out of sporting interest. In most cases, the fisherman who has pulled out the prey immediately releases it back.

Everyone probably needs to learn how to handle fresh, often still living, seafood. Oysters tend not to open, their shells tend to split in the wrong place, the membranes don’t peel... And in a good fish restaurant you may be offered a set of instruments that resemble surgical instruments. Agree, it’s good if you take them on with confidence, knowing exactly which one is intended for what.

Typically, the utensils are laid out in the following sequence (in the photo from left to right): a snack fork (universal), a snack knife (universal), a lobster or crab fork (for removing meat from the claws), an oyster fork, a snail needle, lobster tongs and crabs (for splitting the shell). In addition, you will be offered an apron bib and a bowl of water and lemon in which to rinse your fingers.

Most often, restaurants cut seafood in advance: open the oysters, peel the shrimp and cut the crab phalanges. But in order not to complicate your life and to make everything “beautiful”, it is better to rehearse some things in advance. We will help you with this.

How to prepare crab:

In Russia Kamchatka crabs weighing up to 2-3 kg, which are considered the best (often they are even called “royal”), were caught back in 1837 in Russian-American settlements on the Aleutian Islands, and crab fishing off the coast of Primorye began to develop in the 70s of the 19th century. In Soviet times, king crabs were introduced into the Barents Sea, where they multiplied so much that their constant catching became an environmental necessity.

The soft body of the crab is covered with a hard brown-reddish shell with sharp prickly spines. The food is the abdomen and limbs (claws) with greyish gelatinous meat, which after cooking becomes white, tender, fibrous and retains the unique smell of the sea.

In fact king crab is a craboid: it has 4 pairs of legs, not 5, like a real crab.

After the introduction of a food embargo in 2014 on agricultural products, raw materials and food from countries that applied economic sanctions against Russia, there is a shortage of many products on the market. European cheeses, fruits, fresh berries and seafood have disappeared from restaurant menus. Many establishments had to not only look for alternative suppliers, but also completely change their concept. As a result, over the past few years, restaurants have appeared in Moscow, the menu of which contains mainly Russian ingredients, primarily meat: “Voronezh”, “Ryba Net”, “Yuzhane” and many others. Russian fish and seafood also began to be in demand, and crabs replaced lobsters. To find out all about the latter, The Village spoke with the chef of the Erwin restaurant. RiverSeaOcean" by Alexey Pavlov and compiled a detailed guide to these crustaceans.

What kind of crabs are served in Moscow restaurants?

There are many varieties of crabs, but restaurants usually use only five to seven types, since other crustaceans have little meat. The most popular crab is Kamchatka crab. Other types are most often served to attract guests. Crabs differ among themselves in habitat and seasonality - these factors affect the appearance of the crustacean, its filling with meat and taste.

Kamchatka crab

Weight: from 3 to 7 kilograms

Catch: from September to April

Peculiarity: large size, caviar

Price: 10 thousand rubles for a live crab

It is also called royal, since it is the largest among the crustaceans of the Far East. Kamchatka crab began to be bred in the Barents Sea in the mid-20th century, from where it is now caught and delivered to restaurants around the world. Kamchatka crab meat consists of dense and thick spaghetti-like fibers and usually has a sweetish taste. Although some crabs of this species may be salted, this depends on the sea in which the crustacean lived.

One of the features of this species is caviar. It is the size of a grape and has a light purple color when raw. Sometimes it occurs when ordering a whole crab. No one extracts caviar separately: it is expensive and illegal.

spiny crab

Weight: from 800 grams to 1.8 kilograms

Catch: cannot be caught during the molting period (mid-summer)

Peculiarity: spines all over the shell

Price: 6 thousand rubles for a live crab

The shell of this crab is covered with sharp spines from the head to the claws - hence the name. Despite its small size, the spiny crab is not inferior to the Kamchatka crab in terms of meat content. It tastes just as juicy and sweet, although it has less fiber than king crab. The “thorn” is brought to Moscow from the southern part of the Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese seas.

Hairy crab

Weight: from 900 grams to 2 kilograms

Catch: from August to October

Peculiarity: unusual meat structure, liver

Price: 400 rubles per 100 grams

Hairy crab is brought to Moscow from the coastal waters of Sakhalin. Hair crab is filled with meat and is fully used in cooking, just like king crab and spiny crab. This crab has a short season - only three months, but even during this time it contains a lot of meat. It has a rather specific taste, as it consists of very thin fibers, similar to threads.

The main value of the hairworm is the liver. It has the same positive effect on the human body as, for example, oysters. The hairworm's liver is small, about the size of a teaspoon, gray in color and tastes like a delicate dessert with sourness. However, the liver is not found in all hairworms.

frog crab

Weight: from 200 to 400 grams

Catch: during the whole year

Peculiarity: appearance

Price: 200 rubles per 100 grams

The crab got its name because of its resemblance to a frog: it has a large shell and small claws on top and bottom. There is little meat in the “frog” - only in the back of the crab, like crayfish. Its structure resembles pulp, and its taste is similar to fish such as sea bass or sea bream.

Frog crab is harvested in the Indian Ocean near the Seychelles and supplied to Russia in boiled and frozen form. Some restaurants may serve the whole frog to make the dish interesting. But due to the strong shell, it is not easy to get to the meat, so it is better to ask to fillet the crab and process it.

Blue crab

Weight: from 400 to 500 grams

Catch: during the whole year

Peculiarity: the most tender meat

Price: 300 rubles per 100 grams

The blue crab lives on the Atlantic coast of North and South America, as well as in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Adriatic and North seas. This crustacean has the softest and most tender meat due to the lack of fiber in it. But poor fillability - only 40% meat of the total body weight. Therefore, blue crab is usually used as an additional ingredient rather than as a main dish.

Snow crab

Weight: from 200 to 400 grams

Catch: from October to April

Peculiarity: looks like a spider

Price: 300 rubles per 100 grams

Snow crab is also called opilio. It is supplied to Moscow from Murmansk. Restaurants most often offer its phalanges - long (about 30 centimeters) and thin, like pencils, with a small amount of sweetish meat, which is not very easy to get. Also used in cooking are the claws and “fists” of this crab. Opilio has dense, juicy and vitamin-rich meat.

How are crabs caught and prepared?

All crabs are caught, in principle, the same way - it’s just that some do it legally, and some don’t. Restaurants deliver crabs live, as well as fresh frozen and boiled-frozen. Live crabs are transported by plane in special containers with small briquettes that cool the container. After transportation, the crab is allowed to rest in its natural environment, otherwise it will die, and only then is it delivered to restaurants.

Live crabs can only be found during the season, since the rest of the time the crustaceans go to the bottom and feed from the resources of their own body - they cannot be caught. To cook crabs throughout the year, restaurants buy them fresh frozen or boiled-frozen. The taste of this meat is no different from freshly cooked meat.

Crabs can be prepared in different ways, it all depends on the imagination of the cook. But most often they are simply boiled or steamed, lightly treated with olive oil, herbs and served. Cooking time depends on the weight of the crab, but on average 30 minutes.

What do you eat crabs with?

Most often, crabs are served with hot melted butter, to which garlic and finely chopped herbs (for example, wild garlic) are added if desired. Among the sauces, the best is a simple aioli based on homemade mayonnaise. Some people like to eat crab with tartar, wasabi mayonnaise and other bright-tasting sauces, but they can overpower the taste of the meat. As for dishes with crab, it is better to combine it with simple products - cereals, spaghetti, bread. Classic dishes with crab include risotto, fettuccine, and bruschetta. Rose wine also goes well with crabs.

In the places where crabs are brought from, they are considered a completely common product. Some people specifically travel, for example, to Murmansk to try crab meat. But if we talk about large enterprises involved in growing these crustaceans, they do not sell anything to the locals, preferring to give all the goods to wholesalers, especially abroad.

How to eat crabs correctly?

The easiest way to cut a crab is to ask the cook to serve it to you open. If you want to do everything yourself, then you should pick up scissors and start, for example, with the phalanx. The phalanx must be cut at the root and cut across to the very end on both sides. After which you need to remove the top cover and remove the meat with a special device that looks like a spatula with a clove. The claw attachment has three threads that hold everything together, so you have to pull the meat onto the plate from them.

To get the meat out of the “fist”, you just need to break it with a special hammer. The meat in the “fists” differs from the meat in the phalanges in its denser structure. As for the crab head, there is practically no meat in it. But if you wish, you can open it too. To do this, cut the crab with scissors starting from either side. Crabs only have a hard shell, and the bottom is soft, so it can be cut through without difficulty.

Crab meat is a product rich in protein, vitamins and microelements. Crab meat contains the most iodine and B vitamins, as well as calcium and magnesium.

In terms of taste, Kamchatka crab is in no way inferior to sea crayfish - lobster and lobster. Tender, slightly sweet crab meat is easily digestible and has many beneficial properties.

Crab meat is especially valued as a source of protein for sports and dietary nutrition, an antioxidant, and also as a product for increasing potency and an aphrodisiac.

Crab meat is very easy to prepare - you just need to boil it in salted water and then you can use it as your culinary imagination dictates. A classic of the genre - crab salads. Crab meat is great for soup and is also used to make tender crab cakes.

Crab meat - how to choose?

We will now tell you how to choose which crab meat to buy and how to clean it.

The 1st phalanx is the longest and fleshiest part of the crab limb, containing the most meat. The yield of clean meat from the first phalanx (i.e., what percentage of the total weight is the meat, and not the chitinous shell) is 55-70%.
The 2nd phalanx is shorter and thinner than the first phalanx, it contains a little less pure meat.
The knee is the articulation of the 1st and 2nd phalanx of the crab. The smallest parts of the crab. Crab knee boiled in salted water with spices is an excellent snack for beer, tastier than the usual shrimp.

The fighting fist is the largest claw of the crab on the front pair of limbs. It contains a lot of meat and is maximally saturated with protein and proteins. The crab fist contains the thickest meat in consistency.
A non-combat fist is a crab fist with a claw; the meat in it is not as dense as in a combat fist, it is more tender and juicy.
The rose is the “shoulder” of the crab, the place where the limbs are attached to the body. Rose contains the most tender crab meat. Rose – white or light cream color with veins.

Crab mix (or “salad meat”) is a cut of meat from different parts of the crab that, for some reason, are not sold as a whole. Used most often in salads.

Cleaning the crab is not that difficult, and most manufacturers sell the unpeeled crab already with the chitin cut. You need to insert a knife into the cut crab claw and break it, then remove the meat from it. The claw can be split with tongs, but you need to be careful not to flatten the meat.

Kamchatka crab

In our country, the most popular types of crab are king crab (King crab) and snow crab (snow crab). The main crab production region in Russia is the Far East, Kamchatka, Sakhalin. In the mid-twentieth century, Kamchatka crab was artificially relocated to the Barents Sea and now there is also a successful crab fishery there. In 2013, a quota for crab fishing in the Barents Sea was set at 900 tons.
The real food store LeaderFood offers various types of Kamchatka crab meat only dry frozen, with a minimal amount of glaze, as well as Kamchatka crab meat in its own juice.