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“What should you do if you find Female Crab Roe?”

First, know that you found an added treat only present in a few caught crabs. Watermen typically throw pregnant female crabs back into the water. This helps replenish crab populations, but a few “slip by” and get busheled for a crab feast. Chefs do, however, take a majority of the catch away from the typical feast and crack and pick them for crab cakes. Both events enjoy the added salty-sweet tenderness of the crab eggs. A crab fan who experiences the first “egg sightings” when removing the apron and then the innards of the female, will note bright orange, almost shiny eggs. In crab cakes, before you bake or pan-sear them, you’ll see a few roe interspersed in the meat. This added “ingredient” seasons the meat and brings out the robust crab taste. Eating crab eggs gives a more diverse dining sophistication to the meal.

Crab roe also serves as an eye pleasing garnishment to salmon rolls or even a shredded cucumber salad. Some Southern chefs add roe as a robust ingredient to a paella. Either eaten as a caviar with a few buttery crackers or in a she-crab creamy soup,  the bountiful amount of nutrients serves the body well. Dieticians report that 80 grams of crab roe offers only 6 grams of fat, but 4 grams energy-supplying protein. The fat is unsaturated and low in cholesterol, so a healthy portion of roe gives an extra boost of energy for the day. In this case, when you find roe in you female crab, search out a recipe or just eat it as caviar!