To shell blue crabs, you systematically remove the top shell, clean out the internal organs, and extract the flavorful meat from the body and claws. This process typically follows a few key steps to ensure you get the most out of your crab.
How Do You Shell Blue Crabs?
Shelling blue crabs involves a precise, step-by-step approach to access the sweet, delicate meat. Mastering this technique allows you to enjoy freshly picked crab in various dishes, from crab cakes to salads.
Essential Tools for Shelling Blue Crabs
Before you begin, gather a few basic tools to make the process smoother and more efficient.
- Crab Mallet or Hammer: For cracking claws.
- Nutcracker: Also useful for claws and tougher shell parts.
- Small Knife or Pick: To extract meat from crevices.
- Bowl: For collecting the picked crab meat.
- Cutting Board or Large Tray: For a clean workspace.
- Paper Towels: For wiping hands and surfaces.
Step-by-Step Guide to Shelling a Blue Crab
Follow these steps for an easy and effective way to shell your blue crabs.
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Prepare the Crab:
- Ensure the crab is cooked and cooled. Cooked crabs are much easier and safer to handle.
- Lay the crab on its back on a sturdy surface.
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Remove the Apron:
- Locate the "apron" – a small, triangular flap on the underside of the crab's body. For males, it's narrow and pointed; for females, it's wider and rounded.
- Pry up the apron with your thumb or a knife and pull it off. This exposes the top shell's connection points.
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Remove the Top Shell (Carapace):
- Place your thumbs where the apron was removed, beneath the top shell, and firmly pry it upwards. The top shell should pop off relatively easily.
- Inside, you'll see a lot of "stuff." Some people are a little intimidated by the green substance (tomalley or hepatopancreas) inside, but others enjoy it as a seasoning for the crab meat, adding a rich, buttery flavor.
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Clean Out the Gills and Organs:
- Scrape away the feathery, gray, spongy gills (often called "dead man's fingers") on both sides of the crab's body. These are not edible and should be discarded.
- Scoop out any other remaining organs, such as the greenish-brown digestive sac near the mouth. The goal is to have a clean, white cavity.
- You can rinse the crab under cool water to remove any lingering debris, but some prefer to keep it dry to preserve the natural juices.
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Break the Body Apart:
- Hold the cleaned body of the crab firmly and break it apart down the middle into two halves. You'll notice how easy this makes accessing the meat.
- Each half will contain several pockets of sweet, white body meat.
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Extract Body Meat:
- Use your fingers, a small knife, or a crab pick to flake out the white meat from the cavities in the body halves.
- Pay attention to the crevices where the legs were attached, as these often hold significant amounts of meat.
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Crack and Extract Claw and Leg Meat:
- Twist off the claws and legs from the body.
- For the larger claws, use a crab mallet, nutcracker, or the back of a sturdy knife to crack the shells. Be gentle to avoid shattering the shell into small pieces that might mix with the meat.
- Use a crab pick or the narrow end of a spoon to extract the meat from the claws.
- Smaller legs may not yield much meat, but you can gently squeeze or roll a rolling pin over them to push out any meat inside.
Tips for Efficiency and Maximum Yield
- Work Cleanly: Keep a bowl for shells and another for picked meat to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cold Crabs are Easier: Cooked crabs are best handled once cooled, as the meat tends to release more easily from the shell.
- Don't Rush: Take your time to ensure you get all the delicious meat, especially from the smaller crevices.
- Utilize All Parts (Where Edible): While the gills are inedible, some chefs value the tomalley (green stuff) and roe (orange eggs in female crabs) for their rich flavor in stocks or sauces.
For more detailed visual guides, resources like Southern Living often provide excellent videos and articles on picking crab.
