If you’re picking crabs incorrectly, you’re probably wasting a lot of valuable meat!
For many, picking and eating a crab is still a foreign concept. If you aren’t a Maryland native this can be especially difficult to learn, as you don’t grow up surrounded by adults who teach you. And some simply pick crabs incorrectly. Here at Costas Inn, it’s important to us that you know how to to properly enjoy your crab so you get the full experience, rather than accidentally leaving meat behind or destroying the satisfaction. Read on for steps on how to eat a crab.
- Prepare.
We provide most of the preparation for you! But if you’re eating at home, here’s what you should do: lay out some kind of disposable paper on the table, so you can be a little messy. Make sure your table is also equipped with a roll of paper towels, malettes, knives and forks. Oh, and of course…get the beer ready!
- Remove claws and legs.
The legs don’t have very much meat in them, and what they do have is salty and not very good. Discard those. Keep the claws, though, as they do have a good amount of meat in them. Sometimes, breaking off the back fins can also get you some meat. Put aside these limbs and start in on the body.
- Open it up.
There’s a flap on the back of the crab, called an apron. Pulling this back and breaking it off gives you a tiny opening, where you can use your thumb to tear the crab in half. The top shell should come off with a little force, and then you’re left with the crab’s lower half.
- Clean.
Take a knife, or use your finger, to scrape away any innards. You should be able to easily tell what is inedible about the crab. Don’t worry about the yellow stuff; that’s edible. Remove everything that isn’t hard shell or meat.
- Remove the meat.
Use your fork or finger to remove the meat from the shell. It takes a bit of practice to get the most satisfying meat, so give yourself some time if you find yourself only able to pull out small bits. You’ll get better at this!
Come to Costas Inn to try the best crabs in Maryland!
Costas Inn has been a family owned and operated restaurant for over 40 years. We were recently voted the 2015 #1 Baltimore Seafood Restaurant by USA Today. You may have spotted Costas Inn during one of our 9 appearances on the Today Show or heard one of our many interviews on WJZ TV Channel 13 with Ron Matz and Marty Bass. We were also voted #1 Crab Restaurant 2014 in the Baltimore Business Journal! You can enjoy our famous crab cakes in-house or order them online for anytime eating. We also provide some of the best seafood catering in the Baltimore area! You can also get your fill from Costas even when you’re not in our dining room: follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Tags: blue crabs, eating crabs, how to pick crabs
