Cleaning Steamed Dungeness Crab: A Step-By-Step Guide Before Cooking

There are various ways to prepare steamed Dungeness crab for cooking. Some people prefer to clean the crab before cooking, while others find it easier to clean the crab afterwards. Cleaning the crab before cooking can make the cooking process quicker and cleaner, but it requires more effort upfront. On the other hand, cleaning the crab after cooking is generally easier, as the body is softer and simpler to work with. Regardless of when you choose to clean your crab, it is important to place it on ice or in the refrigerator beforehand to slow it down and make the process safer and more manageable.

Rinse and cool the crab

Rinsing and cooling the crab is an important step in the cleaning process. It not only stops the cooking process but also helps to cool down the shell, making it easier to handle.

To rinse the crab, simply place it under cool running water in your sink. Be sure to flip the crab over a few times to ensure that both sides are thoroughly rinsed and sprayed. This will also help to remove any crab guts that may have oozed out during the cooking process. If you prefer, you can wear latex gloves to protect your hands from the heat of the shell while rinsing.

After rinsing, place the crab in an ice bath to cool it down further. This will ensure that the cooking process is completely stopped and that the crab is cool enough to handle for the next steps of the cleaning process.

If you are cleaning the crab indoors, it is a good idea to have a filter in your sink drain to catch any pieces that are removed and washed out. This will make cleanup easier and prevent any small pieces from causing clogging issues.

Once the crab is cool to the touch, you can move on to the next step of cleaning your Dungeness crab.

Remove the apron

Removing the apron is the fourth step in cleaning a steamed Dungeness crab. The apron is a triangle of shell on the bottom of the crab. It is smaller, narrower, and more pointed in male crabs, while in female crabs, it is bigger, wider, and more rounded. Female crabs must be thrown back into the water to maintain the population.

To remove the apron, flip up the apron and use your thumb to break it off at the back of the shell. You can also grab the point towards the front of the crab and pull it off. This will leave a small hole between the body and the top shell, or carapace, at the back of the crab.

After removing the apron, you can see the crab's gender. The marking that indicates the crab's sex is located where the apron was.

Remove the carapace

Removing the carapace is a crucial step in cleaning a steamed Dungeness crab. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it:

To begin, you will need to have already steamed your crab and let it cool down enough to handle. Once your crab is cool enough, you can start the process of removing the carapace.

The carapace is the top shell of the crab. To remove it, locate the small hole between the body and the carapace at the back of the crab. This hole will be visible after you have removed the apron, which is a triangle-shaped shell on the bottom of the crab.

Now, hold the crab's body with one hand and use your thumb to gently lift and detach the carapace from the body. Be gentle but firm, and the carapace should come off, revealing the crab's insides. There will be some liquid that comes out, known as "crab butter," which is the fat from the back of the crab. You can choose to discard this or save it for use in soups or as a dipping sauce.

If you want to keep the carapace for serving or drying, make sure to clean it thoroughly. Use a small brush or tool to remove any remaining guts and attached squishy bits from the shell. Rinse it thoroughly with water to ensure it is clean.

Removing the carapace is an important step in cleaning your steamed Dungeness crab, and it will make the rest of the cleaning process easier. Once the carapace is off, you can proceed to remove the gills, mandibles, and guts, leaving you with a fully cleaned crab ready for cooking or serving.

Remove the gills and mandibles

Removing the gills and mandibles is an important step in cleaning a crab before cooking it. This process ensures that all the inedible parts are taken out, leaving only the tasty crab meat.

Removing the Gills

Once you have removed the top shell of the crab, you will be able to see the crab's insides. Along the top, you will see two rows of opaque, feathery gills. These gills are not edible, so you should pull them all off and discard them. Be careful not to break them as this can release an unpleasant odour and fluids.

Removing the Mandibles

The mandibles are the crab's mouthparts, located at the front of the crab. They are also referred to as the jaw or the pointy things. To remove the mandibles, simply snap or crack them off and toss them away.

After removing the gills and mandibles, give the crab a thorough rinse under cold running water, making sure to get into all the cracks and crevices. This step ensures that any remaining particles are washed away, resulting in cleaner-tasting crab meat.

Clean the crab body

To clean the crab body, you will need to remove the carapace, the gills, the mandibles, and the guts.

First, turn the crab upside down and remove the "apron" (also known as the abdomen flap) from the bottom of the crab. This is a triangle-shaped shell, and it is narrower and more pointed in male crabs, while it is wider and more rounded in female crabs. You can grab the point towards the front of the crab and pull it off.

Next, you will see a small hole where the apron was removed. Stick your thumb into this hole and gently lift up on the top shell (the carapace) to detach it from the body. The carapace will come away from the body, bringing with it lots of attached guts. Fully remove the carapace and, if desired, clean and save it for serving or drying.

Once the top shell is removed, you will see the crab's insides. Along the top are two rows of opaque, feathery gills, which should be pulled off and discarded. On either side of the crab body, you will also see the grayish, pointy-shaped gills, which should also be removed.

Next, remove the mandibles (the mouthparts at the front of the crab). Snap off the two pointy pieces and discard them.

Finally, rinse the crab body under cool running water to remove any remaining foam, entrails, or greenish-brown goo. The only things left should be the shell and tasty meat.

Frequently asked questions