Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yup, Bluey's are nice, but if you think the meat in them is sweet, wait until you taste Muddies, especially the claw meat... it's almost like having sex for the first time.

P.S. That was a monster specimen... from when I was a little kid I frequently went muddying, right up to when I left the Northwest at about 27yo... and I'd never seen one that big... the one below is about average.

I have seen blue crabs as big as the one in your last pic. We also have rock crab, but you are only allowed to keep the left claw from it.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sit ... oo8OjzwQv8

I always thought your "Blue" crabs were the same as our "Blue Swimmer" or "Blue Manna" crab... so I was about to say "That's one huge Bluey" in response to your comment, but then I looked them up on the Googly and they are quite different. These are our "Blueys":

You don't see them very big any more. Over fishing is keeping them from getting big. They have to measure 6 inches across from point to point to be kept. Anything smaller has to be thrown back.

I have seen them over 10" across. I am guessing the one in the pic I talked about is not any bigger. Wish they still had the big ones.

Muddies would definately have to be the tastiest treat our land can give, hands down. Outside of Oz it would have to be the Alaskan king crab.

I don't really care for the Alaskan king crab. I much rather our blue crabs over the Alaskan's. Much more flavor.

Ive never tried one of your blue crabs..... Id say thats where the fail point is

I never tried one of yall mud crabs either. Maybe one day I will get over to your side of the planet and try it. Really want to take a vacation there one of these years.

Would love to try a fresh caught muddy as have only had market bought ones and dont like them as much as yabbies

Nothing store bought is a good.

I very, very rarely eat white bread, but IMO there is not a meal on the planet better than a crab sarny of freshly caught & cooked muddy flesh, lightly tossed in a bowl with a dash of vinegar and some cracked pepper mixed in, placed on really fresh, buttered white bread (none of that margarine poison), and washed down with an ice cold froffie... if I was going to the firing squad that would be my last meal request.

I haven't had muddy for years now... and since I've taken a liking to Matso's Mango froffies in the last couple of years, I regularly contemplate while necking one, what it would be like to wash down a fresh muddy sarny with a cold Matso's Mango... a match made in heaven I suspect.

Once while in Broome many years ago we had Mango Chilli Mud crab at one of the local Chinese restaurants near the old picture theatre... OH... MY... GOD!!!... as Homer Simpson would say... "uhhhHHHhhrghhhuuuuHHHggrruhhhHHhh!"

How do yall prepare crab over there? We boil most of our seafood in lots of seasoning. I like to dip the meat in a mixture of mayo, mustard, ketchup and seasoning.

I don't know about everyone else, but if I'm boiling crabs I like to use sea water, or salted water. I place the crabs upside down in the boiling water while cooking. Then quench them in cold water and place them in the fridge (upside down the whole time). Once cold I remove all the flesh from the body and mix in a bowl with a dash of vinegar and cracked pepper then use that meat on sandwiches. The legs and claws I just usually eat the flesh au naturel... I'm not real keen on adding a lot of sauces and seasoning etc that can overpower the taste of the crab... unless you're talkin chilli crab.

For chilli crab I pre-prepare a chilli sauce by adding 2 or 3 sliced mild chillies (seeds n'all) and a clove or two of chopped garlic, into a dash of warm in oil in a wok (not really hot oil, burns the garlic), give it a quick stir, add a tin of whole peeled roma tomatoes, or diced (juice n'all), a big pinch of salt, teaspoon of raw sugar or palm sugar, a few glugs of Sweet chilli sauce, tablespoon of Worcetsrerereerershire sauce (that stuff), and water as required to give some volume. Mush the big pieces of tomato with a wooden spoon, stir and turn down to simmer, to reduce down slightly. Stir occasionally.

Then prepare the crabs by removing the shells and lungs, snap the crabs bodies in 1/2's for bluey's, or cut in 1/4's for muddies, gently rinse any goopy bits out, slightly crack the claws.

Once the sauce gets to a nice consistency crank the heat to about medium (not enough to burn the sauce on the side of the wok) and add the crab pieces, stir and turn the crab pieces in for a couple of minutes, place the lid on the wok. occasionally taking the lid off to stir and turn in. When the crab is nearly cooked stir in a tablespoon of Fish sauce, stir and turn in the crab pieces for another couple of minutes and then serve.

Okay so yall do boil them. I use salted water also. I tend to like a lot of seasoning, not toooo hot, but sweating a little isn't bad.

We don't peel them and put the meat aside. We peel them as we eat. Usually on a big table with all the crab (crawfish, or shrimp) piled in the middle.