For years, I followed the instructions on those little paper placemats used in crab houses about how to pick and clean a
crab. I finally learned the instructions are wrong. While living in a proud blue crab area of Maryland's Eastern Shore, I discovered that professional crab pickers have their own method and it's much more efficient. No need for a mallet either.
- Leave the apron alone!
- Pull off the entire top shell
- Scoop out fat and lungs
- Twist off legs
- Using a crab knife (or small utility knife) cut off the crab's outer edge all around the perimeter
- Cut the body in half horizontally, slicing through the chambers to expose meat
- Pick out meat with your fingers and eat
For the legs, twist in half at joint.
Using the knife, cut into the leg, about 1/4 inch down from the end, but not going all the way through.
Break the leg at the cutting point
Leg meat should be visible.
