Steaming to Perfection: A Guide to Cooking Dungeness Crabs

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

Follow these steps to steam your Dungeness crabs to perfection:

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

To clean and prepare your crab, follow these steps:

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

Finally, it’s time to enjoy your delicious Dungeness crab! 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.