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Food Info - Fish/Seafood: Cracking a Fresh Crab

Source of Recipe

Alioto's restaurant
CRACKING A FRESH CRAB: Connoisseurs prefer using a live crab with this method. Otherwise, you can cook the crab before cracking. Place the crab face up with the pincers facing away from you. Hold down the legs with one hand, with the other, pull the shell off the body with one quick motion. This kills the crab instantaneously. Remove the crab butter from inside the top of the shell and save. Discard the shell.

From the crab's body cavity, clean the gills. Crack off the pinchers. Hold each side of the crab with one hand, and crack the body in half. Shake out the remaining crab butter and save. Pull of the legs along with the attached body joint. Place each leg flat on a hard surface. Crack the leg with a blow of a hammer or mallet. Shake off any loose pieces of shell.