Cooking with crab - the Can't Be Arsed Girl's Guide...please?

[MrsMerryHenry]

I've found a fabulous-sounding crab recipe for the summer: Allegra McEvedy is marvellous.

However, I really don't have the time (nor inclination, let's face it) to steam and pick my own fresh crab. So how else can I get crab, and where's the best place?

I could of course pop down to my local fishmonger tomorrow (so apologies for asking such a dumb-and-lazy-assed question) but I'm sorting out our summer menu right now and it would be really useful to know today whether I can manage this recipe).

Thank you!

Most supermarkets/fishmongers will do a dressed crab - where they've got all the gammy stuff out and restuffed the crab with the nice bits. Approx 3.99 per crab round these parts (but we are v.close to crabbing country).

Oh, that's what dressed crab is! I've never actually bought crab before (could ya tell?!) so it's all new to me. I assumed that if they'd 'dressed' it, it meant they'd added flavourings, sauces, dressings, etc to it. So basically it's plain crab, cooked and ready to serve?

Yes, just plain crab. It's lovely stuff. I have a FIL who used to work on the gas platforms and in his spare time caught crabs (as it were ), so he knows how to "dress" them - I must get him to teach me.

what your FIL gets up to in his spare time is not my business!

Thanks so much for educating me on the wheres and wherefores of crabs. Crab Quiche, here I come!