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Crabs are delicious to eat but they are messy and for many first-timers, they are a puzzle to eat. Here you will unravel the mystery and discover a quick and easy way to eat a crab!
Eating a Crab
Pull of the legs and claws using a twisting motion to release the meat inside the body shell. Holding the body in 2 hands, break it apart as if you're opening a book to expose the rest of the meat. You can pull that out with your fingers or a special crab fork.
Steps
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Prepare your table. Eating crabs is messy, so the table needs to be readied for splashes and leftovers. Lay down some newspaper or heavy-duty paper to protect the table, to absorb the juices, and to make clean up easier. [1] X Research source -
Gather a crab mallet, dull knife, and a claw cracker if desired. [2] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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If you haven't already cooked the crabs, do so. Steam the crabs; blue ones will usually turn deep red. Normally crabs are steamed with a layer of seasoning.
- For some ideas on how to cook crabs, see further: How to cook crabs , How to steam crabs and How to season crab legs.
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Pull off all the legs and claws with a twisting motion. You can use a dull knife inserted into the joint to make removal easier. Sometimes a little meat will come out with the leg. Eat it. [3] X Research source
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Toss the legs (fins) and save the claws. (You will get to them in a minute.)
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Turn the crab over on its back. Open the apron––the apron looks like a tab.
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Take the top half and the bottom half in each hand, as if you are opening a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Pull off the top shell. Take care and do this slowly. Toss the top shell.
- You will have cleaned out the crab and have removed the gills to show the shell.
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Take this bottom half and break it in half.
- Now take one of the halves and with a knife (or your hands) cut it in half.
- If you are using your hands, press down to break the chambers and then pull apart.
- Now you should have the meat exposed. Use your fingers to pull the meat out and enjoy! Use your knife to get the meat out of the smaller chambers.
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Pick away all the chunks of meat in the body. Start with the claws.
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Crack the claws by using the hinged cracker, hitting them with the crab mallet, or using your knife. The most efficient way to open a claw:
- Lay your knife, sharp side down, on the middle of the red side of the claw.
- Then use the crab mallet to gently hit the knife, until the knife is halfway through the claw.
- Finally, pivot the knife to the side. That will open the claw and make it easier to eat. Then snap the shell open and eat the meat, avoiding the cartilage.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow long can a blue crab be dead before you cook it?Chef Anne Lloyd is a Professional Chef and the Owner of Nolavore in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chef Anne has had a career in the restaurant and food service industries for over 30 years and has traveled and cooked on both coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Southeast Asia. She specializes in utilizing local and regional foods to create dishes featuring international flavors. She also provides full-service catering, prepared foods, gourmet packaged goods, pantry items, and kids' cooking camps and classes for all ages. She received a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Associate of Arts, Culinary Arts degree from the California Culinary Academy. Anne is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit.They have to be cooked live, in my opinion. There may be a more scientific answer, but I always boil them live.
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QuestionCan you eat the yellow stuff in crabs?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerThis is actually known as the "tomally" and is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. This is an organ in the crab that fulfills the role of the liver and pancreas. If your crabs come from an area where there is pollution you should avoid eating it since pollutants can accumulate in this part of the crab.
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QuestionCan all crabs be eaten?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerNo, there are some species of crabs that can be highly toxic and there is no antidote. These crabs are mainly from the Xanthidae family, which is a large and diverse group. Due to this, you should never eat any crab that has not been properly identified.
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Tips
- Look thoroughly through the crab chambers, because you do not want to miss any good meat.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Leave the legs on until after you open the body. The legs are connected to the meat in the body and will help you get all of that meat out.
- The top shell has meat in the ends or tips, in addition to all of the meat in the claws and legs. Don't let any of it go to waste!
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Warnings
- Don't attempt to eat a living crab straight from the sea. This will result in much pain.Thanks
- As with most sea life, there are small parts everywhere, so do go about this carefully.Thanks
- Crabs have many tiny and not so tiny spikes. Be careful of how you handle the crab or it will get its revenge.Thanks
- The claws have a "bone" (cartilage, actually) in the claw, so be careful to slide this off when eating.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Crab (steamed & seasoned)
- Crab mallet (looks like a small wooden hammer)
- Knife
- Crab cracker or metal nutcracker (optional)
References
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/how-to-eat-crab
- ↑ https://www.mantripping.com/food-and-drink/how-to-eat-blue-crab.html
- ↑ https://www.eater.com/2015/6/5/8730223/how-to-eat-crabs-baltimore
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/ – research source
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyzNL8X2cDE
About This Article
Article Summary
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To eat crabs, start by pulling off all the legs and claws in a twisting motion. Next, take the top half and the bottom half in each hand, as if you’re opening a book, and pull off the top shell. Then, break the bottom part in half to expose the meat, which you can pull out with your fingers or a knife. You can also crack the claws with the hinged cracker or hit them with the crab mallet to get the meat. To learn how to prepare your table for eating crabs, keep reading!
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