How To Easily Crack Open King Crab Legs At Your Next Seafood Feast

King crab is one of the most decadent dishes you can enjoy, but unless you're an old hand at cracking open seafood, the process of actually eating crab is usually anything but luxurious. The crab's hard exoskeleton is specifically designed so it's difficult for hungry predators (like humans) to get into, which means a king crab meal often ends in carnage. Between your hands getting covered in butter and accidentally swallowing a few missed pieces of shell, opening up king crab legs can be an ordeal. Luckily, with a fork, a seafood cracker like OXO's, and a bit of know-how, you'll be chowing down like royalty in no time at all. For a grand feast at home, check out our guide to buying, preparing, and cooking crab.

The different sections of a king crab leg are all connected by different joints, or "knuckles." In order to get to the meat, you'll have to break each of these joints so you can slice open the long sections more easily. Using clean hands, start by breaking a leg off of the main body section. You'll notice that the legs bend naturally at each joint; holding the first leg section in one hand and the body in the other, firmly bend the joint backwards while also pulling it apart. This can be done by hand, or with a tool or utensil. Keep breaking apart all the crab knuckles until all the sections are separated.

As you pull the different sections apart, you may notice some hard tissue sticking out of the ends. This cartilage is inedible, but sometimes if you're lucky, it will pull all of the crab leg meat along with it. Otherwise, you'll have to break through the shell to get inside. If the crab has been cooked properly, you should be able to slice through the lighter, softer side of the shell with the blunt edge of a knife. You can also use regular kitchen scissors, or a specialized crab cutter that is provided at some restaurants (it's okay if an eatery doesn't have crab cutters, but watch out for these seafood restaurant red flags).

Once the shell has been cracked open, you can retrieve the meat using a fork or your hands. If you're dining on an entire set of king crab legs, it's a good idea to open them up one leg at a time so the meat stays warm as long as possible.

The majority of king crab leg meat is in the various sections, but there are some juicy morsels inside the knuckle joints, the body and the small claw-like tips of each leg. You'll need a crab cracker to get to these bits; just maintain a gentle hand so you don't crush the shell into the meat. As you carefully break away the shell, ponder this: Why would you eat a crab, but not a spider?