Dungeness crab 101

If you’ve never cooked live crabs, it can seem a little intimidating. But our paper-bag method for getting the critters in the water helps things go smoothly

 

dungeness 101 tongs

Alex Farnum

How to cook

1. Keep live crabs chilled up to 12 hours. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover crabs by 2 to 3 in., leaving 3 to 4 in. clearance below pot rim; bring to a boil.

2. Gently unwrap crabs into a sturdy paper bag (cut off any handles first), putting in no more than 2 at a time. If crabs are loose in a box, use tongs to lift from the rear between legs and put in bag.

dungeness 101 bag

Alex Farnum

More on how to cook

3. Holding bag near bottom, gently pour crabs into boiling water (tongs don’t always give a steady grip) and cover pot. Cook, lowering heat to a simmer once water is boiling again: 15 minutes for 1½- to 2½-lb. crabs, 20 minutes for bigger ones.

4. Lift crabs out with tongs and rinse with cold running water until cool enough to handle.

dungeness 101 flap

Alex Farnum

How to crack and clean

1. Place cooked crab, belly up, on a work surface. Pull off and discard triangular flap and the pointy appendages underneath it, plus the small paddles from the front of the crab.

dungeness 101 shell

Alex Farnum

More on how to crack and clean

2. Pull body up off broad back shell by prying off shell from the rear end. Discard liquid in shell. Scoop out and save soft, golden “butter” and white fat from shell to eat with crab, or discard with back shell.

 

dungeness 101 shell

Alex Farnum

More on how to crack and clean

3. Turn crab over. Pull off and discard any reddish membrane. Scoop out any remaining “butter.” Pull off long, spongy gills from sides of body. Rinse body well.  

dungeness 101 legs

Alex Farnum

Dungeness 101 

How to crack and clean

4. Twist legs and claws from body. Using a nutcracker or wooden mallet, crack the shell of each leg and claw section. With a knife, cut the body into quarters.

dungeness 101 eat

Alex Farnum

Dungeness 101 

How to eat

Using a tip of a crab leg or a cocktail pick, remove meat as you pull legs and body sections apart. A cooked, cleaned crab yields about 25 percent of its weight in sweet, juicy meat. For example, plan on getting about 8 oz. (1½ cups) meat from a 2-lb. crab; 1 serving is about 6 oz.

dungeness 101 ender

Alex Farnum

More great crab recipes

Italian Crab and Pasta

 Mexican Crab and Corn Soup

 Carrot Soup with Dungeness Crab

 Crab and Smoked Trout Cakes with Herb Salad

 Crab Chawan Mushi

 Crab and Artichoke Salad

Dungeness Crab Risotto

 Buttermilk Crab Chowder

 Artichoke Crab Paella

 Chili Crab in Won Ton Cups

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http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/entertaining/crab-feast-how-to-00400000032720/

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