Crab - can you buy it ready prepared?

[UnrequitedSkink]

and if so, what do you ask for? We've got friends coming over this weekend and I want to make a crab soup for dinner, but I haven't got a clue how to prepare the crab (aren't there poisonous bits?!) so what I'd like is the crab meat, and the shell (for the stock)already separated. Is this dressed crab? Or is that crab mixed with mayo? I need to order it soon, please HELP!

do you have a local fishmonger or even the fish counter in the supermarket as you could ask them for advice

Yeah, I was going to order from Waitrose but I was hoping to do it over the phone as house is disgusting and I need to spend today cleaning it

You are looking for dressed crab - that will be a sheel filled with the white and brown meat from a shelled crab.

Yes there are poisonous bits - call "dead mans fingers" If you haven't dressed one yourself then but it ready-dressed. Most good recipe books (eg Mrs Beeton) show step by step guides to dressing crab. There's probably a youtube guide too somewhere.

Cromer crabs are the best.

Enjoy your soup!

You also want it fresh: is there a fishmonger you can get it from on the same day? I always buy and eat any shellfish the same day,

You can get "fresh" pasteurized crab in fishmongers and some supermarkets. Tastes teh same to me, same as though recently dressed!

yes, in Costco

Aaah, crap, am pregnant - so can't have crab as it's shellfish right? NOOOOO!

And bugger, I have to think of something else as a starter now! Oh I could spit.

Thanks for the advice though, this will definitely be on my list of things to eat as soon as I've given birth!

Glad I was preg so long ago, that nothing was forbidden! Well apart from alcohol. Came on to say you can buy frozen crab meat, which would be fine for soup, but no use now!

Pretty sure you are allowed crab, so long as it is cooked, which in a soup it will be.

eatig advice