What’s the trick in cracking Snow Crab Legs?

A planned attack, of course with a strong appetite, will motivate your crab picking skills. Different than blue crabs, snow crabs have already received a “half body” preparation. In other words, you don’t have to pry off the top shell and remove any of the lungs, etc. Snow crabs come in clusters with three legs and one claw. A chant will help you get the most meat at a record pace. “Snap, crack, and pull!” First, remove a leg and at the pointy end, take a claw cracker at the center of the bottom portion, place your hand on the top portion and with the cracker, snap forward. Slightly crack to expose the meat. Then pull out the long portion and place on a plate. Second, take the knuckle portion and snap up and then back with the cracker and pull out this portion. Add to your pile of pristine white crab meat on the plate. Lastly, take a seafood fork to extract the remaining amount of meat from the top portion. You may even see some meat remnants in the knuckle region, so dig with the fork to get every last bit! Squeeze some lemon and dunk the portions in hot clarified butter. The trick is to leave no meat behind with a quick “Snap, crack, and pull!”