Crabs

Most restaurants in the United States use blue crabs, which are native to the East Coast. There are other crabs used in the same way, but blue crabs are cheap, no doubt in part because they are so hard to shell. Extracting the meat requires expert technique and patience. Those on the West Coast of the United States eat Dungeness crab. However, even there it isn’t cheap, and its hard shell makes it of little use in sauce making. Although there are few sauce recipes designed specifically for crabs, blue crabs are useful for making crustacean sauces because they are easy to clean and are usually inexpensive. To clean them, make an incision directly behind the eyes with a sharp knife or ice pick. Turn the crab over and unfold the apron—the small flap clinging to the underside of the body—and make another incision into the body of the crab; this cuts the major ventral nerves and kills them instantly. Twist off the apron while pulling. The crab’s intestine should come with it. Grip the crab firmly and pull off the top shell. This will expose the gills clinging to the bottom section and allow the remainder of the inedible intestine to fall out. Pull the gills off with your fingers. After cleaning, the crab can be used in the same way as other crustaceans.