How to steam a Dungeness Crab

What are Dungeness Cabs

These delectable crustaceans are native to the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean of North America, from Alaska down to California. They are prized for their sweet and tender meat. Just like with rich Stone crab claws from Florida, these crab legs are best when in season. Harvested from late November through June, whole Dungeness crabs are smaller than King crab or snow crabs but are a great option for seafood lovers.

Look for red shells and white meat in the body of the cluster. There should be a sweet, mild oceanic smell. Don’t buy any legs with black or darkened color on the meat or off-putting smells.

You can find whole Dungeness crab or crab leg clusters when in season at your local Costco or fish market. You may even find them at your local Toko store. Alternatively you can order them online, but be sure someone will be home to immediately get your package on ice or in the fridge, as seafood should never be left out.

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INGREDIENTS

• Dungeness crab leg clusters
• Old Bay – or you’re favorite seafood spice blend. But let’s be real; Old Bay is pretty good.
• Butter – most of the time, we are freaks for unsalted butter when cooking, but this is one of those rare occasions where we love dipping the sweet crab meat into melted salted butter. Toss in some garlic confit for garlic butter sauce.
• Fresh herbs, like minced parsley and chives, and fresh lemon wedges for garnish

• Dungeness Crab leg clusters
• Old Bay
• Butter salted
• Lemon
• Parsley

HOW TO STEAM DUNGENESS CRAB LEGS

Steaming crabs is the easiest way to prepare any type of crab.

• Start by rinsing your crab legs under cold water and patting them dry.
• Then in a large pot, put just enough water to barely touch the bottom of a steamer basket. Set the pot over the range and bring the boil to a gentle simmer.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle the Dungeness crab clusters with a liberal coating of Old Bay, being sure to flip the crabs to coat all sides.
• Nestle the crab legs into the steamer basket and cover, leaving a small gap to let out steam, with a lid.
• Steam the crab legs for 7 to 10 minutes. Remember, these crab claws from Costco are already cooked, so you are only reheating them. Leaving them to steam too long can cause the meat to become soft.
• While the legs are steaming, melt your butter over low heat.
• Carefully remove the steamer basket from the pot and set it over a baking sheet to catch any dripping water.
• Then transfer the crab legs to a serving dish and brush the exposed meat with melted butter. Serve the legs with melted butter for dipping, garnished with minced parsley and lemon wedges.
• Gently pull the legs from the body, and you may get lucky enough to pull the fresh crab meat out with it. You can use crab crackers to break open the shells and get to the sweet meat.

Looking for quality products? Purchase Dungeness crab legs online if you can’t order them locally. Check out our wesite!

Queen of the Sea

WHAT TO SERVE YOUR CRAB WITH

These meaty crab legs are great with something as simple as duck fat fries, but they are also amazing with (or in) creamy smoke mad and cheese, alongside a helping of smoked potato salad, or even some grilled corn in husks so you don’t have to worry about utensils.

WINE PAIRING

Stick with a buttery white wine like Chardonnay or a light fruity Pinot Grigio or Gris. And occasionally live on the wild side and pair crab with a crisp Rosé.

REHEATING & LEFTOVERS

Refrigerator: Double-wrap in plastic wrap tightly so it remains fresh and stored in the refrigerator. If you really want to keep it extra fresh, place ice in a Ziploc bag and place it on top of the dish covered in plastic wrap. If stored properly, leftovers will last up to four days. You can eat the leftovers cold or in a variety of dishes.

Leftovers: Use up leftovers in a crab omelet or eggs benedict. Make a deviled crab and spoon it over grilled steaks. Stuff leftover Dungeness crab meat in ravioli or seafood pasta. Simply put, most dishes can be elevated with a little leftover crab.