There is nothing better than crab you caught yourself a few hours earlier — but first you have to get the meat out of the shell clean. This is how I clean mine after cooking. If you have not cooked it yet, start with how I cook Dungeness crab, then come back here. If you want to catch your own, I run crabbing trips out of Astoria and Tillamook Bay — call or text me at 503-314-5087.
Clean It After You Cook It
I cook my crab with the guts in, still alive, then clean it after it comes out of the pot. That is the easy way — the meat is firm, the shell comes apart clean, and you are not fighting a live crab on the cleaning table. Let the crab cool first. Ice it down right out of the pot like I do in the cooking post, or let it rest until it is cool enough to handle comfortably. Cleaning a hot crab tears the meat up.
What You Need
Kitchen shears, a crab cracker or a small mallet, a seafood pick or a fork, a bowl for the meat, and a bag or bucket for the shells. That is it.
Step 1 — Flip It and Pull the Apron
Flip the crab on its back. On the underside you will see a triangular flap — that is the apron. Grab it and pull it off. Toss it.
Step 2 — Lift Off the Top Shell
Put your thumbs under the back edge of the top shell and pull it up and away from the body. It should come off in one piece. Set it aside — you can rinse it out and use it as a serving dish, or toss it.
Step 3 — Pull Out the Gills
Inside you will see two rows of feathery, grey stuff along the sides of the body. Those are the gills, sometimes called “dead man’s fingers.” They are not good eating — spongy and bitter — so pull them all off and throw them away. While you are in there, scoop out anything else soft and loose you do not want. The soft yellow-green stuff in the middle is the tomalley. Some folks love it and save it; most folks rinse it out. Either way is fine.
Step 4 — Rinse Gently and Pat Dry
Hold the body under a gentle stream of cold water and rinse out any loose bits, sand, or leftover gill pieces. Do not blast it with high pressure — you will wash the flavor right out of the meat. Pat it dry with paper towels.
Step 5 — Snap the Body in Half
There is a natural seam running down the center of the underside. Put your hands on either side and snap the body firmly in half along that seam. Now you can see the body meat in its chambers. Pick it out with your fingers or a pick, and check for little bits of shell as you go.
Step 6 — Twist Off the Legs and Claws, Then Crack Them
Twist each leg and claw off at the joint — they come off easy once the body is split. Crack the claws with the cracker or a light tap of the mallet: one firm crack, not a smash, or you will get shell shards in the meat. For the legs, snip the shell lengthwise with the shears and pull the meat out in one clean piece. The knuckles hold good meat too — do not skip them.
Picking Tips
Work over a bowl so you do not lose meat to the table. Keep a second small bowl of water nearby to rinse your fingers. Picked meat is best eaten the same day — if you have to hold it, get it in the fridge covered and use it the next day.
Book a Crabbing Trip
If you want to catch the crab yourself, I run Astoria crabbing charters — $160 a person, covered heated boat, out of Hammond — and crabbing trips out of Tillamook Bay too. Call or text me at 503-314-5087.
More Fishing Trips With Marvin’s Guide Service
Along with crabbing, I guide Portland spring salmon trips, Columbia River salmon trips, Astoria fishing trips, and sturgeon trips. Call or text me at 503-314-5087 to talk about your trip.
