She Strengthens

Steaming to Perfection: A Guide to Cooking Dungeness Crabs

As the West Coast Dungeness crab season approaches, seafood enthusiasts eagerly await the opportunity to indulge in the freshest, most flavorful crustaceans. But cooking and cleaning whole crabs can seem daunting. Fear not! With a few simple steps and some essential tips, you’ll be enjoying succulent crab meat in no time.

Timing is Everything

The key to perfectly steamed Dungeness crabs lies in the cooking time. Aim for 7-8 minutes per pound, after the water returns to a boil. For example, a 2-pound crab would require around 14-16 minutes of steaming time. If you’re cooking multiple crabs, calculate the average weight and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Equipment Essentials

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• A large pot with a tight-fitting lid
• A steamer rack (or a makeshift foil rope)
• Seafood crackers or small hammers for extracting the meat
• Aioli and Cucumber Mignonette recipes ready to go

The Steaming Process

1. Fill the pot with 1 inch of water and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Place the crab back side up in the steamer rack, cover, and return the water to a full boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and steam for the calculated time.
4. Remove the crab with tongs and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle.

Cleaning and Preparing the Crab

1. Place the crab belly side up on a cutting board and remove the triangular apron shell at the tail.
2. Pull away the top shell (carapace) from the rest of the body and discard.
3. Remove the soft, pointy gills and mouthpiece (mandibles) from the body.
4. Rinse away any viscera under cold water.
5. Cut the crab in half from face to tail, and if desired, cut into smaller pieces by slicing between the legs.

Serving and Enjoying

Use seafood crackers or small hammers to crack open the claws, legs, and body, and serve with aioli, melted butter, or Cucumber Mignonette for dipping. With these simple steps and tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Dungeness crab expert!