In Chinese culture, nothing says fresh like seeing your seafood swimming around alive in the tank. I remember that when I was younger, I would poke and prod the tank and watch the crabs walk across it. My dad always made fun of the fact that the crabs that fought the hardest were usually the freshest and tastes the best. This is why we always bought live crab. Frozen crab had nothing on live crab in terms of flavor. People are often scared of the process of killing and chopping the crab, even though fresh crab is soft, juicy, tender, and so delicate and sweet. But don’t worry! I’m going to teach you how to kill and chop a live crab the right way today so you can eat fresh seafood every day too!
As a seafood lover, I get super excited whenever crab is on the menu. That sweet, succulent meat is absolute heaven especially when paired with some melted butter or a tangy dipping sauce. However as eager as I am to dig in, I used to always get a bit intimidated when a whole cooked crab was placed in front of me. Those spindly legs, dangerous looking claws, and hard shell seemed daunting. Where do I even start? How do I get the meat out? The prospect of having to crack and dismantle the entire thing was enough to make me avoid cooking crabs at home altogether.
But no more! After some trial and error, I’ve discovered just how easy and fun it can be to cut up cooked crab. Now I look forward to preparing fresh crab myself and experimenting with different recipes. If you also find the idea of tackling a whole crab intimidating, I’m here to walk you through the simple process step-by-step. Grab some crab crackers or kitchen shears, and let’s get cracking!
Step 1: Twist Off the Legs
I like to start with the legs since they are the skinniest and easiest part to remove. Gently twist each leg to loosen it then pull it off. Try to keep the shell intact as much as possible. Set the legs aside for later.
Step 2: Flip the Crab Over and Remove the Apron
Turn the crab upside down to expose its underside, Here you’ll see a tab that kind of looks like an apron Lift up the edges and give it a twist to release it The apron isn’t edible so you can toss it out,
Step 3: Pry Off the Top Shell
Flip the crab back over. Wedge your fingers or crab crackers under the top edge of the shell, lift up slightly and work your way around, loosening the shell. Once you’ve pried up the edges, lift off the top shell in one piece. Try to keep as much of the insides attached to the shell as possible for now.
Step 4: Scoop Out the “Mustard”
Take a look inside the top shell and you’ll see some yellowish goop along with some unappetizing looking stuff. That yellow goop is the crab “mustard” or tomalley which is totally edible and delicious! Use a spoon to scoop it out and set it aside in a bowl.
Step 5: Remove the Gills aka “Dead Man’s Fingers”
Back to the crab body. Reach into the center cavity and pull out the spongy gray/white gills on either side. They kinda look like dead fingers – lovely name, I know! The gills are not edible so discard them.
Step 6: Cut the Body in Half
Turn the crab body upside down and place it on a cutting board. Use a heavy chef’s knife to cut it in half lengthwise.
Step 7: Break the Body into Sections
With the underside still facing up, cut each half into 2-3 smaller sections depending on the size of crab.
Step 8: Crack the Claws
Grab each claw and use a mallet or crab crackers to break the shell. I like to place a claw on its side and give the middle a few good whacks. Try not to completely obliterate the shell, just crack it enough to expose the meat. Repeat with the remaining claws.
Step 9: Crack the Legs
Go back to those legs you removed earlier. Use your hands or crab crackers to break the shells open. Bend each leg back until it snaps apart. Pick out any chunks of meat and add them to the rest.
Step 10: Enjoy Your Fresh Crab Meat!
That’s it – you now have piles of sweet crab meat ready to eat! Just grab a fork and pick the meat out of the cracked claws, legs and body pieces. Dip the meat in some melted butter, olive oil, or your favorite sauce. Don’t forget to add that mustard-y crab innard you scooped out earlier for rich flavor. Now relax and savor the fruits of your labor!
With these simple steps, cutting up cooked crab is a total breeze. Once you try it yourself, you’ll see there’s nothing to fear. Getting your hands dirty dismantling a whole crab is all part of the fun and makes finally digging into the meat so much more satisfying. I like to gather family and friends for a hands-on crab feast where we can crack shells together.
How long does live crab last?
People who buy live crab should eat it within a day to make sure it stays fresh.
Where can you buy live crab?
In my experience, mostly Asian markets carry live crab. You can bring back the crab alive and handle the chopping at home.
How to clean and prepare a whole crab
How do you cut king crab legs?
Trim the crab legs with kitchen shears if necessary to reduce their size. You can usually place the crab legs whole in a steamer basket, pot of water, or baking sheet. However, king crab legs are pretty big and may not fit as well as you would like. To compensate, use something sharp, like kitchen shears, a good chef’s knife, or a paring knife.
How do you remove meat from crab legs?
For keeping the legs intact but removing body meat, separate the body from the legs, divide it into smaller parts for easier handling, and pick out the meat. Use your seafood crackers to crack open the legs. Peel back the shells and use the picks for smaller legs to remove the meat. Additional Tips for Enjoying Your Crab:
How do you remove crab meat from crab crackers?
Place all the crab meat in a small bowl. For the smaller legs, you will need to use seafood picks to remove the meat. If the crab crackers are too large for smaller legs, you can simply rip the shell as best as you can, then use the picks to remove the crab meat. Remember to always pick through the crab meat once more prior to eating!
How do you eat crab meat?
Take your knife and lay it with the sharp side down on the middle of the red side of the claw. Use the crab mallet to gently hit the knife until it is halfway through the claw. Lastly, swivel the knife to the side. The claw will open and make it much easier to grab the crabmeat. Once you have snapped the shell open, eat the meat.