If your crab is live, chill it in the freezer for 20 min to quiet it, then dispatch it. Pull off the top shell whole and set it aside — it is the crown of the dish. Scrub the body under cold water, pull out and discard the grey feathery gills and the small sac behind the eyes, then cut the body into quarters through the legs and crack each claw and knuckle firmly with the back of a cleaver so the gravy can get in. Pat everything dry — wet crab will spit and stew instead of sear.

⚠ Ask your fishmonger to clean and crack it for you; a live crab is best cooked within an hour of cleaning.

• Crab