Shoreline Seafood
Eating Crabs

OPENING A MARYLAND STEAMED CRAB
1. Snap off the two large claws at the body. Crack the claw shell with knife handle or mallet. Pull meat out from large cavity, or dig out with knife.	2. Remove the smaller walking legs on each side. Bits of meat may be found at the joint ends.
3. With thumb or knife point, remove the apron by snapping off at joint.	4. Insert thumbs in exposed opening and pry the top shell off. Discard empty shell.
5. Body of crab is now exposed. Remove the face area (A) with knife. Scrape off the gills (B) (Greyish white fingers) on either side of body and discard. Scrape off fat or "crab butter" (C) (Yellowish mustard like viscera) in center. It is optional to eat the fat, but gills should never be eaten.	6. Break (or cut) the remaining body completely in half. Then break (or cut) each half again exposing the chambers containing solid white crabmeat.