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DRESSING A CRAB

1 medium uncooked crab, weighing about 900 g


salt

1 bay leaf

15 ml lemon juice


  1. Place the crab in a large saucepan in enough cold, salted water to cover. Add the bay leaf and lemon juice. Bring slowly to boiling point, cover and boil fairly rapidly for 10-20 minutes. Allow the crab to cool in the water.

  2. Place the crab on its back on a large chopping board. Take a claw firmly in one hand, holding it as close to the body of the crab as possible. Twist it off, steadying the body with the other hand.

  3. Remove the other claw and the legs in the same way. Snap the claws in half by bending them backwards at the joint.

  4. Hold the claws at the top end and, with a hammer or heavy weight, tap the shell smartly on the rounded edge to crack the claws open. Try not the shatter the shell. Repeat with second claw.

  5. Using a blunt knife, ease the white meat out of the claws. Keep the blade as close to the edges of the shell as possible.

  6. Using a teaspoon handle or skewer, reach well into the crevices to make sure all the white meat is removed. Discard any membrane.

  7. Crack the larger legs open and scrape out the white meat. Keep the small legs for decoration. Reserve all the scooped-out white meat in one bowl.

  8. Place the crab on its back with the tail flap towards you, head away from you. Hold the shell firmly and press the body section upwards from beneath the tail flap and ease out with your thumbs until the body is detached.

  9. Pull of the inedible, grey feather-like gills from the body section and discard them.

  10. Use a spoon to remove stomach bag and mouth which are attached to the back shell. If the bag breaks, make sure you remove all the greenish or grey-white matter.

  11. Ease the brown meat out of the shell, running a knife around the edge to bring it out smoothly. Put in a separate bowl.

  12. Discard any membrane and scrape out corners of the shell with the handle of s teaspoon.

  13. Protect your hand with a cloth. Hold the shell firmly and tap with a hammer just inside natural line of shell until inner shell breaks smoothly away.

  14. Scrub the shell well under cold running water. Then dry the empty shell on absorbent kitchen paper and run the outside lightly with oil.

  15. Place the body on its back on the board. Cut through the body to divide it in two.

  16. Spoon any creamy brown meat out into the bowl with the rest. Discard the body pieces.


DRESSING A CRAB

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