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A Baltimore favorite...

How to Pick and Eat Maryland Steamed Crabs

EATING CRABS...where adults are encouraged to wear a bib, eat with their hands, get food on the table, pound on the table, throw their leftovers in a pile, generally make a mess...and have a great time picking crabs.

There are probably as many ways to pick and eat steamed crabs as there are "crab pickers" in Baltimore. The following photos and descriptions should serve to get you started.

Just a few hints:

• Don't bother about the mess.
• Don't rub your eyes until you have thoroughly washed your hands.
• Have fun. Share stories with your friends (and maybe a cold beer or soda).
• Enjoy!

	Tools: All you need are a mallet, a dull knife, and plenty of Kraft paper (or maybe newspaper) to cover your table.
	Remove the front claws: Put them aside, you can come back to them later.
	Pull off the rest of the legs: Sometimes, you get lucky and some crab meat pulls out with them. Just enjoy it.
	Open the apron: Pull up the apron on the bottom of the crab and break it off.
	Open the crab: You can now easily pull the hard shell off of the top of the crab.
	Clean out: Scrape out and discard anything that does not look appealing to you - the yellow "mustard" and the lungs (sometimes called the devil's fingers).
	Break in half: You are now down to the main part of the crab. Simply grasp it in both hands and break it in half to expose the sweet crab meat.
	The crab meat... ...can be found in all of the little nooks and crannies. This is some of the finest tasting seafood to be had anywhere.
	Oh yes, what are the mallet and knife for? The knife (not sharp, please!) helps to pull the crab meat out from all the little nooks and crannies. And the mallet - well, each large claw also contains some fine-eatin' meat - use the mallet to crack the claws. Actually, the only essential "tool" is the paper to cover the table. The mallet and knife only make things a "little" easier, but they definitely add to the fun.
If you are in Baltimore you can find all of this fun and great eatin' at an authentic, family-owned and operated crab house. Be sure to visit L.P. Steamers in Locust Point (on the way to Fort McHenry). Can't get to L.P. Steamers right now? Don't want the mess? Want Seafood at home - delivered fresh to your door? The Crab Place has everything you need for a succulent seafood feast. From crab to soups and spices, they quickly deliver the highest quality products to your door. Fresh seafood makes a great gift, and The Crab Place has a top-quality assortment to choose from. Not sure what to get or when it should be delivered? The Crab Place gift certificates are available.