Technique: Crab Shaking

Efficient method of removing meat from Dungeness Crabs. Steps:

-Boil or steam crabs
-While still hot, as hot as you can withstand with bare hands, and remove the back
-Remove gills, roe, and tamale
-Crack into two halves and separate
-Remove the "eye" a small bit of shell near where the two halves were connected
-Hold each half by the legs and tap the body section on the inside edge of a pan, then shake to release the body meat.

-Removing the meat from the claws requires cracking them lightly with a mallet on a hard surface.
-Pull of the tips and pull out the long thin threads, these hold in the meat.
-Pull apart the leg sections and use tap and shake method again to get out the meat.

Note: Professional "Crab Shakers," are traditionally women. There are many theories as to why women dominate the profession, ranging from differences in dexterity to patience. Some claim that it's just too hard a job for men.