Dungeness Crab

Dungeness crab ranks right up there with the succulent lobster and highly recommend enjoying this delicatessen from the sea! Whenever I see them in my local grocery store, I buy them! It is easy to make saving you big bucks by doing it at home versus going out to a restaurant. In my opinion the best way to enjoy this sweet goodness from the sea is simply with melted butter, but others do prefer mustard sauces. There are two ways of eating a whole crab and that is to lay down a bunch of newspapers and go after it or prepare most of the meat before you sit down to eat. I do highly recommend letting others crack their own legs though. Keep in mind eating crab is a messy, but fun experience! A step by step technique for removing the meat from the shell is in the Technique Section, How to Cook and Remove Meat from a Cooked Dungeness Crab. All you need now is a big pot of water, melted butter, crab crackers and you are set for a fun and fantastic meal! One crab can serve 1 -2 people depending on appetites.

Ingredients

1 – 2 lb. live Dungeness Crab
Melted butter for dipping
Crab crackers (other tools shown are optional)

Technique

Fill a very large pot or stock pot half way with water and bring to a boil. Place live crab into boiling water, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the pot, plate and serve as is with melted butter or prepare for yourself or guests by removing most of the meat. (Okay, you can remove all the meat, but that takes the fun out of eating the crab – it is supposed to be a messy and fun experience!) See How to Cook and Remove Meat from a Cooked Dungeness Crab technique.

Suggested Side Dish

Since crab is supposed to be fun and messy, I like to choose simple sides like Baked New Potatoes and Quick Cooked Corn on the Cob.

Suggested Beverage

Try J. Lohr Arroyo Seco Riverstone Chardonnay (California), Hahn Estates Chardonnay (Monterey), Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay (California), Paulaner Hefe-Weizen with lemon wedges, Flensburger Brauerei Gold Premium Lager Beer (Germany) or Skinny Dip New Belgium Brewing (Ft. Collins, CO).