Facts

Two ways to prepare crab from http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/clean_prepare.html
Although most crabs are either alive or have been killed just prior to cooking, they certainly are safe to use if you know they are fresh, i.e., dead for only a few hours.

You’ll need a large pot for boiling, a small mallet or hammer, a nutcracker and a small fork.

 

1. Cook it, then clean it.

The easiest way to prepare your crab for eating is to cook it first and then clean it.

 

Here’s how to proceed:

1.     Use about ¼ cup of salt per gallon of fresh water and bring to a boil. Immerse the whole crab and again bring the water to boiling. Boil for about 18-20 minutes.

2.     Remove the crab from the pot and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process and cool the shell for handling.

3.     Remove the abdomen with your fingers (also called the apron, it is the flap of shell on the underside of the crab).

4.     Remove the outer shell (the back of the crab, also called the carapace) by sticking your thumb into the hole left from removing the abdomen and lifting up firmly.

5.     The shell will detach from the body with some guts attached.

6.     Remove and discard the leaf-like, spongy gills from either side of the body.

7.     Rinse out the greenish-brown guts. Break off and discard the mandibles, which are the mouthparts at the front of the crab.

8.     Turn the crab upside down, grip it on either side and place your thumbs underneath near the midline on the back (where the shell used to be).

9.     Push up with your thumbs and pull down with your hands; the crab will crack easily along its center line.

10.   Pull all of the large chunks of meat out of the body, then break open the legs and claws using a mallet or nutcracker.

 

2. Clean it, then cook it.

Many people prefer to clean their crabs before cooking. The resulting sections require less water for boiling and result in a cleaner table product.

If handling live crabs proves to be a problem when removing the back, the crab can be killed quickly by a blow to the abdomen.

 

Here’s how to proceed:

1.     Remove the abdomen with your fingers (also called the apron, it is the flap of shell on the underside of the crab).

2.     Remove the outer shell (the back of the crab, also called the carapace) by sticking your thumb into the hole left from removing the abdomen and lifting up firmly.

3.     The shell will detach from the body with some guts attached.

4.     Remove and discard the leaf-like, spongy gills from either side of the body.

5.     Rinse out the greenish-brown guts. Break off and discard the mandibles, which are the mouthparts at the front of the crab.

6.     Turn the crab upside down, grip it on either side and place your thumbs underneath near the midline on the back (where the shell used to be).

7.     Push up with your thumbs and pull down with your hands; the crab will crack easily along its center line.

8.     Immerse crab sections into boiling water for about 12 minutes. Use water somewhat less salty than used for whole crabs.

 

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