What’s the BEST way to Eat A Fresh Load of Blue Crabs?
Keeping to a “Play-Book” style for picking crabs adds some competition, along with efficiency to the feast. Remember, you want a true celebration, so keep everyone excited with a heaping pile of crabs. Pile them high as a table centerpiece. Grab a crab and demonstrate prowess. Agilely remove all the legs and claws and set them aside. Watch your table and show how quick you prepare the crab. Pull up on the apron on the “belly side” and pry it off. Quickly insert your finger into the hole created by removing the apron and pry off the top shell. Can you combine these two steps into one snapping, quick move? That will show your skills. Crack the crab in equal halves and scrape away the gray inedible gills, and any other “mushy stuff”. Keep the green tomalley or liver as a “seasoning.” It actually tastes a bit like lobster. Share your knowledge of the green stuff, and impress the table, while you keep picking with focus. With a seafood fork, dislodge the lump and dip a few impressive chunks in hot butter as you tear into the crab. From the back end of the crab, pull out the large jumbo pieces. Impressive. Dip and eat as you pick. Then finally, pop the claws apart to get to the meat. No meat goes uneaten. Even the small legs. Crack them in half and syphon out the morsels. Then, grab another. Make sure you don’t go too fast. Enjoy and savor the moment!
