Anyone who wants to eat crab must first clean it. If he is still alive, it is necessary to kill him by putting him in boiling water. After that comes cleaning, which is done by removing the shell and entrails of the crustacean. Once clean, it will be ready to be cooked and savored.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Crab for Cleaning
Step 1. Kill him if necessary
Anyone who has bought a live crustacean will have to kill it before proceeding. The easiest solution is to soak it in boiling water for 60 seconds. Use a tongs to transfer it from the boiling water to a container of ice water and stop cooking.
Step 2. Or thaw the crab
If you are going to use frozen crab, you must thaw it before cleaning. Fill the sink tub with cold water and leave it immersed in it. After 15 to 20 minutes, the temperature will be good to go to the next step.
Step 3. Allow the crustacean to cool and dry
If it was necessary to use boiling water, wait until it is cool to the touch. It is also important to let them dry, as wet crabs are difficult to handle. If you left it to soak to defrost, wait for it to dry before cleaning.
Part 2 of 3: Removing unwanted parts
Step 1. Cut off the crab face
This can be done with scissors. The face area comprises the animal's eyes and mouth. Just cut a straight line across the back of the eyes and mouth from the front of it.
Scissors are generally the tool with which you can do this most easily, as long as it is very sharp. If the blade does not cut the crab's shell, use a sharp knife
Step 2. Remove the abdomen
It is the small carapace blade at the bottom of the crab. You don't need any specific tools to remove it; just use your fingers.
Step 3. Remove the gills, which are under the abdomen
They look like little beige tongues. Remove by pulling them with your fingers.
Part 3 of 3: Completing the Cleaning Process
Step 1. Rinse the viscera
After removing all unwanted material from the shellfish, hold it under running water to clean the viscera, which are the greenish-brown substances found in the shell's abdominal cavity. Leave it under water until they come out completely.
Step 2. Break the shell to gain access to the meat, after which it will be possible to extract and cook the crab meat
Turn the crab upside down. Hold him on both sides, leaving your thumbs resting near the centerline of his back. Push your thumbs against the shell while pulling the two parts down, in opposite directions, and the crab will break in half.
So you will have two equal sized servings of meat
Step 3. Cook it
These parts can be boiled in boiling water, taking 12 minutes to complete. Season with a small amount of salt.