Dressed crab — and its companion, dressed lobster — is cooked crab with the legs removed and the flesh extracted, seasoned, and neatly packed back into the shell for serving. The preparation is a piece of kitchen craft: the crab is cooked, the claws and legs are picked, the brown and white meats are separated, then the meat is mixed with seasoning — lemon, cayenne, sometimes a little mayonnaise — and arranged back in the cleaned shell, often garnished to look abundant. Served cold, it is the classic British seafood starter, showcasing the sweet meat without demanding work from the diner. The dressing must be done with scrupulous hygiene, since picked crab meat is highly perishable. Done well, it is among the finest cold dishes in the repertoire — pure crab flavour, beautifully presented.