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1
First extract the meat from the crab, a process called 'picking'. Take the cooked crab and lay it upside down in front of you. Pull off the legs and set them aside, then twist off the 2 large claws.
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2
Take the main body of the crab, push it up out of the shell and set it aside. Left inside the shell, you'll find the brown crab meat. Using a spoon, scrape out the brown crab meat, discard the skin covering the brown crab meat and sieve the brown crab meat to drain it.
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3
For many people, the best part of a crab is the white meat found in the claws. There's a knack to getting that delicious white flesh out from a crab without bits of shell in it. Watch my tip on Shell-free crab meat to see how I do it. Using the handle of a spoon, scrape out as much white meat as you can from one of the two large claws.
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4
Next, place a cloth around the claw, hit it firmly, so as to crack the shell, rather than smashing it. Pick off the cracked shell, then pick the white meat off the blade.
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5
Repeat the process with the other crab claw. Reserve the little pincer tips of the claws for garnish.
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6
For this recipe, I'm using the best bits of the crab: the brown and white crab meat. The rest of the crab, including the legs, can be used for stock for a seafood soup or a shellfish sauce. If you don't want to make stock today, then simply freeze them until you're ready.
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7
Now season the white crab meat with a teaspoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a tsp of Knorr Vegetable Touch of Taste. I like to use Knorr Touch of Taste for seasoning, as it seasons the crab meat evenly.
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8
Season the drained brown crab meat with a few drops of Tabasco sauce and 1tsp of Knorr Vegetable Touch of Taste, mixing it together to form a soft paste.
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9
Cook the peas in boiling water for a few minutes until just tender. Drain and dress the cooked peas with 2tbsp olive oil and a dash of white wine vinegar.
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10
Place the peas in a serving dish. Spread over the brown crab meat and top with the white crab meat. Garnish the salad with the fresh basil, chives and parsley and the reserved pincer tips. There you have it - fresh crab with fresh peas. A delicious summer dish. Serve with crusty bread.
