Dead Crab on My Hands
Alright friends and fiends...it's Dungeness season on the West Coast and I bought a big old fat one from a very reliable purveyor. I was a bit concerned because when it was pulled out of the tank and I poked him he barely wiggled his claws. Then I got him home and in under an hour he was in the steam bath. Usually I expect crabs to try and fight their way out. This one barely twitched. So now I'm cooking something else for dinner and trying to decide if I can still use his sorry carcass which I will pick and refrigerate. Thoughts?
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On the other hand, I have my history of taking dead crustaceans back to dealers. I've bought Dungeness crab right out of the tank, brought it home, and found no life. The fishmonger sort of blames me, even though I live minutes away... but despite a couple of times when it's worked out, I still believe in extreme caution with shellfish.
Summing up, I would not serve or eat them. Except maybe if I felt some pressure, and then I'd feel guilty guilty and then relieved if it worked out.
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