But, skimping on whole crabs means you're missing out on other parts of the crab that are edible (almost all of it, in fact). First, you've got all the innards and juices inside of the shell.

Among the most familiar and easily recognisable is the brown crab (Cancer pagurus) also known as the edible crab, with its chunky, oval-shaped shell and that distinctive crimped, pie-crust edge.