Eating Snow Crab
Snow crab clusters are enjoyed for their sweet, tender meat, and eating them involves a few straightforward steps:
- **Preparation**: Snow crab clusters are typically cooked before serving, either by steaming or boiling. They are often pre-cut into sections to make access to the meat easier.
- **Breaking the Cluster**: To begin, hold the cluster in one hand and use a crab cracker or nutcracker to gently crack the shell, starting with the large legs and claws. Be careful not to crush the meat inside.
- **Extracting the Meat**: Once the shell is cracked, use seafood forks, picks, or even your fingers to extract the sweet crab meat from the legs and claws. The meat can be pulled out in chunks or used to scoop out any remaining bits from the shell.
- **Dipping and Eating**: The meat can be enjoyed plain or dipped into melted butter, garlic sauce, or a squeeze of lemon juice for added flavor. Some people also use dipping sauces like cocktail sauce or aioli.
- **Enjoying the Body Meat**: For more substantial meat, the body of the crab can be opened up to access the meat inside. This might require a bit more effort and careful handling to avoid breaking the meat.
Snow crab clusters are often served with sides like corn on the cob, potatoes, and a variety of dipping sauces, making for a satisfying and flavorful seafood experience.