how to clean a crab after cooking

Smaller cleaned crabs can be served whole, but you'll want to break up larger crabs for people to work from or if you're going to pick the crab meat before serving. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. No matter what crabs you have on hand, use this guide to get them ready to eat. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, How to Buy, Clean, and Cook Soft Shell Crabs. Most crabs can be broken in half or into quarters by hand. An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. Holding the crab claws by the claw shell, dip the meaty part into the egg wash, and then dredge them in the flour again. Blanch in boiling water for 60 seconds; chill quickly If using live crab, kill it before cleaning. Use a garden hose to spray out the crab, leaving it clean and free of digestive tract and gill material. There are two theories about preparing the crab for cooking; the crab can be cracked in half and cleaned before placing in the pot, or the entire crab can be placed into the pot and then cleaned after it's cooked. However, not all scissors will be sharp enough. Let the crab cool for a minute before beginning the cleaning process. It'll be easy to clean crabs when you have access to running water. Stick your thumbs in the small opening at the backside of the crab. How to Clean and Cook Crab Like a Pro Buying, Storing, and Cleaning. To complete the cleaning process, rinse out the crab's guts under cold water until all of the greenish brown substances are gone. Treat Blue Crab just like you would any other type of crab. The crab can either be frozen like this, in … wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The term "soft-shell" refers to the brief time after a blue crab molts and before the new, hardened shell has formed; the entire shell is edible during this period. Usually the face of the crab will come off with the shell but if not be sure to remove the crabs face as well. By keeping the blue crabs frozen at 0°F, it can stay safe for consumption indefinitely. For tips on how to kill a crab before you clean it and how to cook a crab, read on! Pull the apron -- the triangular segment of shell -- up … Any undigested food left inside the crab before it was cooked may grow bacteria and ruin the crab meat. It’s Dungeness crab season in California! Some people add crab boil, found in grocery stores. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg\/aid8592321-v4-728px-Clean-Crab-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"