Portions of a cooked crab

All species of crab are comprised of the same parts: two claws, eight legs, a carapace, and the main body. Shown below is a brown edible crab and the sections where you will nd the brown and the white meat. Start by removing the claws and the legs and then pull the main body away from the carapace. Make sure you remove all of the inedible parts, all of which are easily identied (see box, below). For more information on how to dress a crab, see pages 288289.

Legs
Crabs have eight legs and in some species the last pair is shaped like paddlesthese species are called swimmer crabs. The legs contain some white meat. It can be a little ddly to remove the meat, so a seafood fork or lobster pick are often used to extract the meat at the table.

Claws
Simply crack the claws to extract the white meat inside. Some shmongers will aim to take the meat out whole and use it to garnish, but, typically, just cracking the claw to loosen it is the usual presentation.

White meat inside the claws is particularly sweet and succulent.

Inedible parts
The gills, or dead mans ngers, are attached to the main body, but a few may be left in the carapace during preparation. Their dry, spongy texture makes very unpleasant eating. The mouth and stomach sac are found in the carapace and also need to be removed. The crabs tail, or apron, located on the underside of the main body, is inedible. Male crabs have thin aprons, while hens have wider, more rounded aprons (see page 378). Shards of shell can ruin white meat. To locate any, put the meat into a metal bowl and shake it around. Listen for the shell pinging against the side of the bowl.
Apron Mouth

Gills

Stomach sac

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Techniques

Remove the apronthe crabs tailwhich is located on the underside of the main body.

The inedible gills grow either side of the main body.

Main body

Firmly embedded inside the carapace, the main body consists of lots of chambers that contain a surprising quantity of white meat. Once the body is removed and the gills discarded, split it into quarters so that it is easier to access the white meat inside. There is a residue of brown meat left from the carapace.

Carapace
This large shell contains the brown meat (offal). The crab sheds the carapace at various stages of its lifecycle, enabling it to take in water and form a larger shell, into which it grows.

Remove the stomach sac and mouth, which are found just behind the eyes.

Using the meat

White meat
The main body, legs, and claws contain white meat, which has a sweet, seafood taste and is very juicy and tender. Remove it carefully, making sure you dont take any shell with it and serve unadulterated in salads or sushi, or use in crab cakes or curry.

Brown meat
The carapace contains the earthy-tasting brown meat. Its quantity and consistency depends on the season and whether or not the crab has recently shed its shell if it has, the meat may be runny; use soft breadcrumbs or matzo meal to help bind it together. Season to serve, as preferred (see page 70).

Portions of a cooked crab

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