velvet crab

[Robski]

I know there are some european dishes from the Med and some Oriental dishes for velvet crabs... can anyone enlighten me on the preparation and cooking of this species... were i fish there are tons of em and large too.

[Jamie Donnelly]

:yucky: :unsure: :g:

[steve w]

They taste lovely just boiled but they take about 2 hours to eat each one!You have to pick the flesh out with something slightly larger than a darning needle.You can boil them up to make a soup and then liquidise then strain the crabs and add to your soup!

[solehunter]

Out of interest, when i worked on a potting boat we used to sell our crab and lobsters to a spaniard. When he found out we used to throw velvets back he went nuts and told us he would give £25 a bin for them! In no time we were taking over many of the boats in yarmouth`s velvets. Paid for the smaller boats days fuel!

[Robski]

so i guess if it is that awkward to pick the meat the only thing they are good for is decoration or to add flavour to stock.
i have read somewhere that the soft backs are deep fried in some counties but then who wants to eat perfctly good bait eh LOL

[Bluefin]

Yanks eat a lot of softies. Been wondering what to do with Mr. Pinchy too, the soup/bouillabase might be the best way to go. The flesh is suppose to be very sweet mind

[Robski]

Yanks eat a lot of softies. Been wondering what to do with Mr. Pinchy too, the soup/bouillabase might be the best way to go. The flesh is suppose to be very sweet mind

Yeah i saw a rick stein prog where they cooked up some softies--- looked like they were velvet swimmers too.
have to agree that the bouillabase idea seams the best.
Well thats it am gonna go for it and give it a go. next time im out with the kids fishing with the bait catchers.

[poppajoe]

Yeah i saw a rick stein prog where they cooked up some softies--- looked like they were velvet swimmers too.
have to agree that the bouillabase idea seams the best.
Well thats it am gonna go for it and give it a go. next time im out with the kids fishing with the bait catchers.


Watched that, they were what they called Blue crabs? probably the same thing? they did say they were very sweet though.

[Robski]

Watched that, they were what they called Blue crabs? probably the same thing? they did say they were very sweet though.

Hi mate how ya doing? yeah come to think of it they were bit bigger ... still worth a go sometime eh LOL - i'll try any the once

[crazyplums]

god no, use the velvets for bait !!! without exception... well ok... one exception... all my smoothound last year were taken on velvet ninja's, great crabs for bait, hard or soft,

the exception was a hound so small, it must've just hatched, taken on lug in september !

[dabcatcher]

my local fishmongers sell cooked velvets. they go bright red when cooked. dont know whose buying them though or what for.

[Glenwood]

Our local Lidl's is selling packs of velvets cooked and frozen so there must be another use for them.

[captaincojones]

our local mercadona has velvets on sale this week at 18€ a kilo. thats about 12 quid a kilo.they are delicious cooked.too nice to use as bait for sure!.:)

[Norrie]

I used to do VERY early morning frozen food deliveries to the Gleneagles Hotel kitchens, and had to deliver the stuff right into the freezers...they had large trays of Velvets, and Common Green crabs too.... ...god knows what for, but every morning, there was a tray less than the day before !!!!

Any Ideas ??? :):)

[steve w]

Crab Bisque!

[shooz]

I bought one of thote colapsable shrimp pots(about £6 off ebay) but all i catch is loads of shore crabs and one or two small species and eels! Good method for getting crab stock tho, takes about 30 mins to catch 30 odd crabs on a good day‼

[ziggy searchfield]

If you boil em up & liquidize em, should you take the lungs out first ?

[steve w]

I don't and have had no problems with bad guts!