Stone crab claws should be cooked for 10 minutes in 12 cups of slightly salted, boiling water. Removing the claw meat is easier if the crab claws are first dropped into ice-cold water, as this allows the meat to shrink away from the shell.
Stone crab claws are served intact. To crack the claws, they should be put in a plastic bag to catch sharp shells, and the black claw tip should be placed face down on a cutting board. A wooden mallet or tenderizer is used to hit the knuckle where the claw is attached to the arm, as this results in a clean crack and avoids shredding the meat.
