A half crab is a gift, sweet meat that barely needs anything but heat and fat. Brown butter and thyme give it just enough, and you pick out the meat as you eat, which is half the pleasure on a slow weeknight.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 240 calories a serving, 9 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 67% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 half a crab, 4 tablespoons butter, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 4 sprigs thyme.

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Note Swap thyme for any herb at hand, rosemary, tarragon, even parsley works. Picked crab meat keeps three days in the fridge and makes fast crab salad or pasta topper. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the butter and a green salad to cut the richness.

Crab legs want nothing more than good butter and heat to turn sweet and tender. This shelf gives you exactly that, with garlic and thyme to gild them. Twenty minutes start to finish.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 310 calories a serving, 19 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 2 legs, halved crab legs, 4 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves, minced garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 lemon.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the 2 crab legs and cover; the water will return to a boil in about 3 minutes. Once it does, time 4 minutes more for legs that are thawed, 6 for frozen.10 min
2. While the crab cooks, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon dried thyme; swirl and listen for the garlic to begin to sizzle, about 1 minute.2 min
3. Drain the crab legs well and arrange on a warm plate. Pour the garlic butter over them, season with salt and pepper, and serve with the lemon cut into wedges to squeeze over each bite.

Note Swap the thyme for tarragon or dill if you have it. Leftover buttered crab keeps three days refrigerated and tastes fine cold or briefly reheated. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the butter, or with a simple green salad and boiled potatoes.

Picked crab meat needs little more than butter and heat to shine; pile it warm on toasted bread for a supper that feels richer than it is. This is the quickest way to use what you have.

Serves 2. 12 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 350 calories a serving, 14 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 handful picked crab meat, 3 tablespoons butter, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 4 slices good bread.

1. Toast 4 slices of bread in a dry pan or toaster until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plates.4 min
2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add your handful of crab meat and stir gently for 2 minutes until warmed through, being careful not to break it up too much.2 min
3. Season the crab with salt and pepper. Pile it onto the warm toast, pour over any butter from the pan, and serve at once.

Note Swap the bread for small potatoes baked until tender, split, and topped with the warm crab. Leftovers will keep in a sealed container for one day; reheat gently. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a green salad to stretch the meal.