Gourmet Dining: How To Eat Crab Legs

Most people prefer to have a side dipping preparation of melted butter.Lemon makes a quick and easy addition to the melted butter if you prefer the taste.You can use any kind of side dipping mixture that you prefer.It is recommended that you prepare your side sauce before removing the crab from the water if you wish to eat the crab while still warm.Crab doesn't hold warmth very long and if you have sauce ready, you can begin eating right away.You can also refrigerate cooked crab, either before or after pulling all of the meat out.You can make crab salads and crab cakes this way.

When your crabs are ready and your dipping preparation is all set, you are ready to begin eating.First, grab a leg at the base where it connects to the body of the crab.Gently twist the base of the leg and pull away from the body.Next, separate the sections of the crab leg one at a time.You may need a few utensils to help you in the process."Lobster Crackers" can be extremely helpful for larger crab such as King Crab, as their shells can be very hard, similar to the shell of a lobster."Crackers" are shaped like a "V" and they work by placing the crab leg in the middle of the two tongs and squeezing the tongs together.This pressure causes the shell to break so you can remove the tender meat inside.If you crack at one end of a long leg, it should be easier to gently push or pull all of the meat out from that section.

You can also buy a push utensil called a "picker" meant specifically for eating shellfish.Pickers generally have a long, thin tong with a sharp end so that you cut through some of the crab shell and split the shell or push the meat out.There will be some parts of the crab leg that you can hand-snap and push the meat out of.Otherwise, you can use the crackers and pickers to get the job done.It is your choice whether to eat each piece of crab as you pick it, or to place the meat in your dipping sauce to eat all at once.Crabs have sharp teeth-like bumps on some of their legs.It is a good idea to wrap the leg in a dish towel and then snap it to avoid cutting your hands on the sharp shells.

To summarize, the process of eating a crab leg is as follows:break the leg off from the body; break off one section of the leg; either hand-snap or "crack" the section; use the picker or your fingers to remove the meat; dip or eat as is.Eating crab legs is a very simple, yet enjoyable process.Bon appetit!