How to Clean and Crack Hard-Shell Crab
Dungeness crabs have more meat in proportion to their body weight than any other hard-shell crabs - and they're easy to eat, too. You can clean and crack crabs before or after cooking, but be sure to cook hard-shell blue crabs before cracking.
Things You'll Need
- Dungeness Crabs
- Heavy Knife
- Kitchen Shears
- Lobster Picks
- Nutcrackers
- Mallets
- Small Hammers
Instructions
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Place crab on a table, belly-side up.
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Pull off triangular-shaped belly flap, or "apron."
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Turn over and remove shell by inserting your thumb between body and shell at rear of crab and pulling shell up.
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Twist off claws and legs.
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Use a nutcracker or small hammer to crack open the leg shells.
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Pick out meat with a lobster pick, fork, or tip of a crab claw.
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Use a spoon to scoop out crab meat and roe (also called "crab butter") from the inside of the shell. Keep the roe or discard it, depending on your preference.
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Pull off the spongy gills and small paddles at the front of the crab and discard.
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Use a knife to cut the crab's body in half lengthwise and then into quarters, if desired, or simply snap the body in half. Pick out meat.
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