How to eat a Maryland Blue

Cheri Cernak is the co-owner and vice president of Obrycki’s Crab House, a Baltimore seafood shack where locals crack their way through mountains of Maryland blue crabs. Here are her tips for dismantling the little pinchers.

1 Snap off the claws with your fingers.
They’re the tastiest part of the crab, so set them aside for later.

2 Peel off the shell and eat or discard the “mustard” (edible yellow fat).
Avoid the “devil” (inedible spongy gills).

3 Break the crab into fourths and use a knife or your fingers to get to the meat.

4 To eat a claw, use a mallet to hit your knife a third of the way into it.
Twist the knife to crack the rest of the shell and pull out the meat.