How to clean and cut a whole crab

Step 1

Freeze 1 hour: Place the crab in the freezer for 1 hour or until it stops moving, but don't let the crab freeze. It may take slightly longer for larger crabs. Ensure eyes and limbs aren't moving, no active bubbling around the mouth and legs hang limp.

Step 2

Once the crab is asleep, prepare it straight away. (Note 3)

Step 3

Details in post: See diagrams in post for crab body parts referred to in this section.

Step 4

Cut off leg tips: Cut off the sharp tips of each of the legs (not claw).

Step 5

Remove belly flap: Twist off the belly flap and discard.

Step 6

Remove top shell (carapace): Working from the back of the crab, put your thumb between the body and the top shell (carapace) and pull it off. If you have trouble here, run a small knife down each side of the shell first.

Step 7

Reserve tomalley: Scrape out and save the tomalley (yellow and green "crab mustard", Note 4) from top shell and body.

Step 8

Discard mandibles and gills: Remove mandibles and gills, discard.

Step 9

Remove claws: Seperate arms from body using a cleaver.

Step 10

Crack claw shell: Give it a whack with the back of a knife to create some cracks in the shell, but try not to break the shell completely (so the claw still holds together). This helps with even cooking makes it easier to eat. If claws are really large, cut claws from arms at the joint.

Step 11

Cut body up: Cut crab body in half down the middle. Then cut each piece into 2 (or 3 if large).

Step 12

Refrigerate: Place crab pieces in a large bowl and refrigerate until use. Use within 24 hours.

Step 13

Clean tomalley: Scrape all the crab juices from the cutting board into the bowl with the tomalley. Pick out the grey or white membranes and gently scrape off the tomalley (the yellow/green substance) as best you can back into the bowl. Discard all the grey membranes. Keep the crab juices and tomalley for use in cooking - this packs a ton of crab flavour!

Step 14

Use crab pieces as directed by your chosen recipe. Best crab recipe in the world? Singapore Chilli Crab!