Crabes farcis gratinés

• 6 fresh-cooked crabs, about 1 pound (450 g) each, or 1½ pounds

Remove the crab backs in one piece, scrape out the soft brown “butter” into a bowl, and set the shells aside. Remove all of the white meat from the body, the legs, and claws, and add to the bowl, being sure to discard the little gray fins and any blackish bits. (If you are using lump crab meat, pick through it to remove any possible bits of shell.) Refrigerate the crab until you are ready to us