Scrub the crabs under running water. Put a crab on its belly. Use a dish cloth to hold the claws down with one hand and, grasping the side of the back shell, pull it up and away from the body.

Turn the crab over. Holding down the claws with your left hand (if you’re right-handed), grasp the side of the top shell with your right hand and pull it up and away from the body to expose the ...