Brown Crab

The brown crab (Cancer Pagurus) is a large decapod crustacean that lives in rocky seabeds from 1 to 30 metres, hiding in the crevices of rocks or burying itself in the sand. It has an intense and peculiar flavour, as its diet is strictly carnivorous: crustaceans and molluscs.

Its body is oval and smooth, wider than long and reddish-brown in colour. It has two strong claws on its first pair of legs, and its usual weight ranges between 500 and 1500 grams, although it can exceed 3 kilos. The abdomen of males is less bulky than that of females, but their claws are much larger.

They are known for their tasty and delicate meat, and their unique flavour is the result of the food they receive in the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Galician coast.

The brown crab is nutritionally rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals (iodine, selenium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium and iron) and B vitamins (B2, B6, B9) essential for the development of our organism.

We can send it to you live or cooked in seawater the same day we prepare your order.

It has an approximate loss of 20% of its weight in the cooking process, so please bear this in mind if you order it cooked.

How to keep the brown crab (live)?

If you keep it in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days, although our recommendation is that you do not leave it for more than a day, it can be kept fresh and even alive. Wrap each piece in a damp cloth so that it does not dry out.

But... and the cooked brown crab

It will keep for a maximum of 2 days in the fridge. On the other hand, you can freeze it, well wrapped in cling film and placed in the freezer with the legs facing upwards, so that it does not lose its broth.

To defrost the brown crab or others, we recommend taking them out 24 hours before and defrosting them in the fridge.

In Galician gastronomy, brown crab can be prepared in different ways. At Mariskito you can order them already cooked in sea water or live pieces. You can also prepare more elaborate dishes such as the famous stuffed spider crab.

How to cook brown crab

To enjoy them at their best, we always recommend cooking them in seawater. Otherwise, you only need four things: a pot, water, salt and, of course, a few bay leaves.

Pour enough fresh water into a pot to completely cover the seafood to be cooked. Do not forget to calculate the salt well: 60 g of salt for every litre of water, together with the bay leaves. If the brown crab is alive, it is important to add it to the cooking when the water is cold, as this way its legs will not break. Leave it to cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on its size.

For other seafood, you can follow our instructions in the cooking time table that we have sent you with your order.

How to make stuffed brown crab

Remove the meat from the shell and the respective legs and mix it with ingredients such as onion, pepper or egg. Once the mixture is ready, we stuff the shell again, as a presentation idea.