Learning how to cook Dungeness crab is simple: buy it, cook it, clean it, eat it. Whether cooked live or purchased pre-cooked, dungeness crab is a superior shellfish and has a distinctive sweet flavor, bright orange shell color, and tender, flaky white meat. Either way you choose to purchase your crab, for ideal freshness, Dungeness crabs should be cooked as soon as possible after catching. You can visit this site where available dungeness crab legs for sale.
Live crabs can be steamed or boiled. Crab boil spices, beer, or other flavorings can also be added to the water. Simply steam the crab for 15-18 minutes, or if boiling, boil for approximately 10 minutes in water. To boil, bring 8 quarts of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, place the live crabs into the freezer to dull their senses. Do not keep them in the freezer for more than 15-20 minutes or they will freeze. When the water is at a full boil, gently drop the crab into the water, head first.The ASMI site has excellent resources on how to cook Dungeness crab, but also a wonderful pictorial guide on how to clean crab once you have cooked it.
It’s the summer season and nothing says weekend evening dinners like seafood. This year, you’re all about going big or going home, and you have every intention of making your seafood themed meal a hit with your friends and family. As you look ahead to your weekend plans, consider wowing everyone with an Alaska Dungeness Crab dinner. With these helpful cleaning tricks and recipe ideas, you’ll not only have a lip-licking entrée but a jaw-dropping dinner party.
Cleaning your Alaska Dungeness Crab is your biggest obstacle as a first-timer; however, the process is simple. First, make sure your crab is properly thawed and if not, follow the thawing directions. Then, hold the base of the crab with one hand and tuck the thumb of your other hand under the back shell of the crab, lifting it off carefully. Once the back shell has been removed, take out the semi-liquid material, or viscera, as well as feathery gills from the body. Be sure to rinse the body under cool water to flush away any remaining material.
Third, break the Alaska Dungeness Crab in half. Separate the legs one at a time; however, make sure there is still a decent amount of body still attached to each leg. Finally, crack the leg of each shell with a small meat mallet to expose the crabmeat. From there, the crabmeat can be pulled out with a fork or small pick.
There are a variety of dipping sauces that you can create to add extra flavor to your Alaska Dungeness Crab dinner. For example, a Mediterranean-inspired dip is a great addition to your summer seafood meal. To make the dip, you need: