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Shelling

SHELLING

Oysters

Oysters should be opened as close to serving as possible. Keep the larger side of the shell down because you’ll want it for presentation.
1 Place oyster on table or hold in your hand. Wearing a glove or wrapping your hand in a kitchen towel will protect you from lacerations.
2 Insert tip of knife, wiggling to separate the sides of the shell. Slide the knife clockwise to release the top portion of the shell. Be sure to keep the blade at an upward angle to avoid puncturing the oyster. Run the knife gently under the oyster to fully sever the abductor muscle.

Scallops (not pictured)

Treat unshelled scallops like clams but be even more vigilant not to puncture the scallop. Keep the knife flush with the top shell to separate. Once you have pulled off the top shell and freed the scallop, place it on a cutting board to remove the surrounding membrane.

Clams

Shuck scrubbed clams over a bowl to save the juices for stock or sauce.
Steamers need little more than a wiggle from your clam knife to separate the shell.
1 Run the knife between the clam and lower shell to free the clam.
2 Pull the dark membrane away from the siphon.
Quahogs are more stubborn. Cradle the clam in a towel.
1 Run the tip of the knife around the shell but do not cut through the clam.
2 Once you release the hinge, discard the top shell and separate the clam from the bottom shell.

Mussels (not pictured)

Mussels will open on their own when cooked, but be sure to pull the “beard”— a furry tuft that protrudes from the side of the shell —  before cooking. It’s also best to scrub the mussels under cold water prior to cooking to avoid grit.

Lobster

1 Start by firmly holding the lobster’s back and twisting off the legs. (Most people like to suck the meat out of these.) 

2 Tear the claws at the first joint while twisting and remove the smaller part of the claw. Break the tip of the claw with a cracker and push the meat out the larger opening.

3 Grab the tail in one hand and the body in the other, twisting firmly to separate the two sections.

4 With seafood shears, you can simply cut through the tail and remove the meat. By hand, remove the flipper-like pieces (the telsons) from the end of the tail. Poke your fingers through the telson cavity and push the tail meat out through the larger opening.

5 After separating the meat from the tail, be sure to remove the digestive tract.

6 The body contains some small pieces of meat, the green tomalley (or liver) and bright red roe. Both can be eaten if you desire, but, if you find an oily black substance, the roe (and the rest of the lobster) is underdone. Ensure that it is cooked thoroughly by adding the meat to the dish (pasta, risotto, etc.) a few minutes before removing from the heat or by poaching in broth or sauteing with butter. 

Crabs (not pictured)

Rinse crabs in cold water to remove any sand, using a potato brush for crevices. If crabs are particularly active, you may opt to plunge them in hot water for thirty seconds to kill them before shelling. Rock crabs hold most of their meat in the legs, which can be cracked after cooking. Blue crabs require more effort: unfold and twist off the tail flap (or “apron”) on the underside of the crab and then pull off its top shell. Remove the gills on either side of the belly and cut the crab in half or quarters. For soft-shells, cut off the eyes and mouth, which are at the very top of the crab. Peel back the top shell to remove the gills and then remove the apron.