How to Eat a Blue Crab

Credit: André Baranowski

1. Turn the crab over so that its belly faces you. Using your fingers, lift up its heart-shaped apron, or tail, and pull it back to snap it off of the body.

2. Using your hands or a table knife, remove the top shell from the bottom of the body, twisting and prying it off.

3. Remove the gills, often called "dead man's fingers", which are attached to either side of the crab. (The yellowish "mustard" and orange roe are edible.) Crack the body down the center.

4. Press lightly on the body where the back legs, or "swimmers", are attached and pop out the backfin meat in the rear of the crab. Extract the rest of the body meat with your fingers. Remove the claws.

5. Using a cracker or a small wooden mallet, gently crack open the claws. Scrape the meat out of the claws with your fingers or a table knife.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #111

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Comments (4)

by bmaddrey on 2009-08-24

unfortunately, its a little more difficult than the 5 steps listed here. they are still one of my favorite summer time treats of all time!

by Sheila Harrison on 2009-08-26

Usually - it's not considered good form to eat the female crabs, but that's what you have pictured.

by kevinradeker on 2009-10-24

How can you tell from this picture that it's a female crab? I'm a "crab virgin" when it comes to actually breaking down crab.

by SWEETOLYVE on 2011-01-04

The color of the claws give away the sex. Females have bright red claw tips. Here on the Gulf Coast, we eat either male or female, unless the female is full of eggs. Then she goes back into the water.

Also, olive forks are great for picking meat out of those little areas of the crab bodies.

Have a terrific day!