Crab claws are a delicious and fun seafood treat, but eating them does require some technique. With their hard outer shell protecting sweet, tender meat inside, crab claws need to be approached with the right tools and methods to fully enjoy.
Whether boiled, steamed, or fried, crab claw shells need cracking. And the sweet meat inside needs gently coaxing out With a few simple tricks, you can master eating crab claws and unlock this delicious finger food.
Step 1: Start With High Quality Claws
Obviously, you need good crab claws to start. The best ones for eating are large claws from mature crabs Blue crab, snow crab, and stone crab claws are common favorites Choose claws with thick, intact shells and a good amount of meat inside. Skinny claws lack substance. For the sweetest meat, go for premium jumbo lump crab claws.
Step 2: Cook Them Before Cracking
Raw crab claws are tricky to open, so cook them first to soften the shell. Boiling, steaming, baking, or frying all work. Boiled and steamed claws have a mild sweetness. Baked claws are deliciously caramelized. Crispy fried claws in a flavorful breading are indulgent finger food.
Step 3: Employ Tools for Cracking
Cracking open crab claws takes some force, so have the right tools on hand. Small hinged claw crackers or mini mallets work well. Pliers, nut crackers, and lobster crackers also do the job. You can even use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer mallet if needed.
Step 4: Grab the Built-In Handle
Crab claws naturally have a built-in handle for eating, making them true finger food. It’s the skinny, pincer shaped part extending from the wider claw. Pinch this part between your thumb and finger when picking up the crab claw. It provides a good grip.
Step 5: Twist Off the Pincer
Before cracking the claw, twist and remove the pincer handle first. This skinny end piece just gets in the way of eating the good stuff. Simply pinch and twist it off. Discard the empty pincer which has little meat.
Step 6: Position and Crack the Claw
Now you’re ready to crack open the claw’s wider end to access the sweet lump meat inside. Place the opening upward and position your cracking tool below it. A firm squeeze of the crackers or a few taps of the mallet should create visible cracks in the shell.
Step 7: Pull Apart the Cracked Shell
After that initial crack, use your hands to wiggle and lightly twist the cracked shell while continuing to nibble at the opening. This further breaks the shell, exposing more meat. Pull pieces of shell completely off with your teeth or fingers.
Step 8: Pick Out the Lump Meat
Keep wiggling and pulling the cracked shell until you make an opening large enough to reach the crab meat inside. Use a fork or your teeth to scrape meat and pry it from the cartilage. Enjoy the sweet, flaky chunks as you pull them out.
Step 9: Look for Hidden Pockets of Meat
Be diligent about picking out every bit of meat, even poking into hidden crevices. It’s easy to leave tasty morsels behind. Keep digging around until the claw is completely emptied of meat. Leave no lump behind!
Step 10: Watch Out for Chewy Cartilage
When mining out all that luscious crab meat, you’ll inevitably encounter some cartilage. Try to avoid swallowing large chunks of the translucent cartilage which can be unpleasantly chewy. Separate it from the crab meat.
Step 11: Have Wet Wipes Ready
Things will likely get messy when eating crab claws. Keep some moist wipes or damp paper towels on hand for easy clean up anytime butter or sauce drips down your fingers and chin. It’s all part of the fun experience!
Step 12: Enjoy with Dipping Sauces
For even more flavor, offer fun dipping sauces alongside crab claws. Warm drawn butter, tangy cocktail sauce, creamy remoulade, zesty aioli, and tartar sauce all make tasty companions. Give your tastebuds a treat!
Step 13: Add a Cold Beverage
Balance out the rich crab claws with refreshing chilled beverages. Iced tea, lemonade, craft beer, crisp white wine, or fun cocktails like margaritas and piña coladas wash down crab claws perfectly. Stay hydrated!
Cracking Wisdom
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Take time picking to get all meat out of shells
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Watch out for potentially unpleasant cartilage
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Have handy tools ready to help crack open claws
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Built-in skinny pinchers act as natural handles
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Twist off pincher end first to improve access
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Cooked claws crack more easily than raw
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Don’t swallow large chunks of translucent cartilage
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Keep moist wipes or towels nearby for messy hands
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Fun dipping sauces enhance flavors even more
With the right techniques, you can master eating delicious crab claws. Just remember to remove the skinny pincher first, crack the shell near the opening, and then wiggle, pick, and pull the sweet meat out completely. Dip in butter or sauce, beware of chewing on too much cartilage, and have wet wipes ready for the mess. Eat and enjoy this decadent finger food!
How to Prepare Stone Crabs
Like cooking lobster, you can prepare stone crab claws in one of these three ways: boil, steam, or bake. Though preparation is straightforward, timing is crucial; be cautious not to overcook the flesh. Otherwise, it can get tough. However, you can bypass the burden by purchasing precooked stone crabs online or from one of our fish markets. But how do you crack the hard crab shell?
How the Professionals Do It
Most stone crab eateries have a machine in the kitchen that is designed specifically to crack the hard shell apart. It attaches to a counter and cracks the shell with a crushing bar. The fragile flesh is kept uncrushed as the shell is cracked.
How to Crack and Eat Stone Crab Claws
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