Crab is a delicious festive treat but also great in the summer – you can enjoy it all year round! Preparing a live crab can be a bit like preparing live lobster: daunting at first but it’s really not that difficult and anyone can do it. Just follow along our complete guide and you’ll know in no time how to prepare and cook a live crab.
How to store crab
If buying a live crab you should ideally cook it on the day of purchase, preferably in the next few hours after. To keep crab fresh in the meantime, store in a damp cloth in the bottom of the fridge.
If you purchase a whole cooked crab we recommend preparing and eating the meat on the day for a maximum of freshness but you can store the meat in the fridge for up to four days.
How to cook a live crab
Crab should always be killed prior to cooking. Killing the crab before boiling is a kinder method but cooking a live crab also retains more water in the shell and makes the meat tougher.
If you have purchased a live crab you will then need to dispatch it first.
Put the crab on its back. Lift the small pointed flap to uncover a small hole in the shell. Use a small knife (or screwdriver) to pierce down though the hole until you feel the other side of the shell.
Move sharply the handle of the knife/screwdriver to the back of the shell then remove it.
Turn the crab over and allow to drain.
To cook your crab, bring water to the boil and plunge your whole crab in the water, head first. When the water is boiling again, reduce the heat to a simmer and start timing the cooking.
How long you should cook crab
A good rule of thumb is to count about 7-8 minutes per 1lb/500g. If you are cooking several crabs at a time, count the average crab weight, not the total weight.
How to know when crab is cooked
The crab will turn bright orange when cooked.
The meat should be opaque and white, not translucent.
How to prepare crab
Lay the crab on its back, eyes facing towards you.
- Twist off the claws and legs and set aside.
- Hold firmly the crab and press your thumbs on either side of the eyes and push away the ‘purse’ (the central body part).
- You should see some feathery grey gills on the underside. Remove and discard those, as they should not be eaten.
- Cut the central part into four to expose the white meat and scrape the meat off using a knife.
- Discard the small stomach sac, situated just behind the crab’s mouth. To remove it can simply push with your fingers.
- Scrape the inside of the main body with a teaspoon or knife to extract the meat.
- You can extract meat from the claws and legs by hitting them with a heavy knife or rolling pin. To remove the meat you can peel off the cracked shell.
If you want to save yourself the hassle of preparing crab, try our dressed crab, ready to eat and always deliciously fresh!
