Dissecting a Crab
How to Remove the Meat from a Cooked Crab
It is simple & easy to remove the meat from a cooked crab.
1. Start by breaking off the claws and the legs, put these to one side for the time being.
2. Put the crab on its back so its tummy is upwards. Just underneath the crabs eyes are two small flaps. Move these aside and push down on the slightly softer shell underneath with both your thumbs and push hard to crack through.
3. Pull out the middle section of the body. Then pull the feathery-looking gills ( also known as dead man's fingers) off the body and throw them away - you should not eat these. They are quite distinctive and you cannot miss them.
4. You can now begin to pick through the rest of the meat, it will be mostly brown meat here. Keep the brown meat separate from the white meat.
5. Now crack the crab claws ( you can use a large spoon or the blunt side of a knife. Place the claw flat on a board and put weight on the spoon or knife to crack it.) Remove all of the crab meat from the claws using a crab pick. Ensure that any thin pieces of bone concealed within the meat are removed. Repeat the process with the legs.
6. Make sure you thoroughly check through the white crab meat to make sure you've removed all the small hard pieces of shell.
7. Enjoy!
