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How to Prepare Dungeness Crab

August 16, 2017

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Today’s post is all about how to prepare Dungeness crab. Almost a month ago now I was in the cooler coastal climate of Reedsport, Oregon. Every summer my family goes up to visit my grandparents and we get to go crabbing.

Even though I’ve been crabbing for years, the whole process of preparing the freshly caught crab was a mystery to me. Tasks are usually divided and I never ended up learning each step.

I thought this year it was high time I tried everything.

Dungeness Crab

Starting a day of crabbing | Winchester Bay, Oregon

Dungeness crab season starts in December and lasts until August but we’ve gone crabbing in September as well with good results. But there are always good years and bad for both commercial and casual crabbers.

The last couple of years it’s been hard work getting a decent amount of crab. Spending five hours pulling pots and only getting 5 crabs is a LOT of work.

Starting a day of crabbing | Winchester Bay, Oregon

But this summer each pull yielded 1 to 5 crabs per pot. That makes the day a lot easier because pulling the pots is just the beginning.

Crabbing Pots

Crabbing Pots

You need a shellfish license to crab, which puts a limit of 12 crabs per person. Female crabs have a wide and round abdomen flap and have to be thrown back. Male crabs have a narrow abdomen flap and need to meet the minimum size requirement (5 and ¾ inches). You can read more about crabbing from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife if you’re interested.

If you were able to catch my Instagram story of my day crabbing, it was an 8-hour day. We’re all usually tired by the time we get to pick the crab.

What to Look For

It’s exciting when you catch a huge crab. But size isn’t an indicator of the quality and quantity of meat.

Deep purple, very heavy, and barnacles: these guys are pumped up and every inch of them is full of meat. In fact, it can be a little hard to get big perfect chunks out because of how packed the shells are.

Light in color and in weight: the new guys on the block. They’ve recently shed their shells and are living in a roomy new crib they’ve yet to fill out completely. They still taste good, but you won’t get as much meat out of them.

How to Prepare Dungeness Crab

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

I always think of The Little Mermaid when preparing crab. They go into a pot of heavily salted and boiling water live. How much salt you add to the water is up to your personal taste and discretion, but I like it to mimic ocean water.

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Cover the pot and boil for 20 minutes. The color of the crab will change from deep purple to a bright orange-red. Fish them out and run some cold water over them to cool them off faster.

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com

Let them cool off for a little before gutting them because they stay hot. It’s much easier to watch a person cleaning a crab then try to explain it, and that’s where this video will come in handy.

Place one hand on the crab’s back and the other on the abdomen. With your thumb, pull back the abdomen flap. Then grip the two separate sides of the crab and pull up and push down at the same time.

Dump the green crab guts, or “crab butter” in the trash. Pull off the mandibles and the gills and throw them out too. The gills are long, slender, and tough feeling. To me, they look a little like the garlic cloves toward the inner portion of a head of garlic, only much bigger.

Split the crab in half and then rinse it thoroughly under running water.

Picking the Crab

Take a seafood cracker and picks to crack the shells and pick the meat out. I’ve never practiced any particular way of doing this. Just try to get big chunks out instead of shredding the meat.

If you don’t have seafood utensils, it’s possible to use the crab itself to get the meat. I’ve used the claws to crack the shells and the sharp tips of the legs to pick the meat out.

Eating

In Oregon, the two ways we always eat crab is in a Crab Louie Salad or in omelets for breakfast. This year I got to make crab cakes though because I have a hard time digesting salads. I used this crab cake recipe from Serious Eats and it was wonderful because it’s all about the crab.

Team Dungeness or Team Maryland Blue?

According to cooks and chefs on both sides of the continental US, blue crab is the undisputed winner for making crab cakes. It’s richer and sweeter than Dungeness, which is more delicate and takes on other flavors better.

I can’t compare because I’ve never had blue crab before, but Dungeness have a clean saline taste. When we were younger, we would sometimes cook the crab out at the beach with ocean water. It’s still cemented in my mind as the best possible way to enjoy crab.

Over here in the Bay Area, Dungeness crab is extremely popular and is considered a traditional part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

What’s your favorite crab dish? I actually haven’t tried many things outside of what I always eat so I would love to hear about your favorites.

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com
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How to Prepare Dungeness Crab

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab for delicious seafood recipes.

Course Main Dishes
Author Megan Wells

Ingredients

  • water
  • Morton Kosher Salt, rock salt, or sea salt
  • live crab

Instructions

  1. Add water to a large stock pot (or your biggest pot available). Fill the pot about 2/3rds of the way full.

  2. Salt the water to your personal taste.

  3. Heat the water on high until boiling.

  4. Carefully drop the live crab into the water. How many you add will depend on the size of your pot. You don't want them to be over crowded and there should be enough space for them to breathe and not be pressed together. Cover and reduce heat to medium and let cook for 20 minutes.

  5. Use tongs or a hook to carefully remove the crab. They will be extremely hot. Rinse with cold water and let the crab sit for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing them to cool a little before cleaning.

  6. Place one hand on the crab’s back and the other on the abdomen. With your thumb, pull back the abdomen flap. Then grip the two separate sides of the crab and pull up and push down at the same time. 
  7. Dump the back of the crab and the green crab guts, or “crab butter” in the trash. Pull off the mandibles and the gills and throw them out too. The gills are long, slender, and tough feeling. To me, they look a little like the garlic cloves toward the inner portion of a head of garlic, only much bigger.

  8. Split the crab in half and then rinse it thoroughly under running water.

  9. Take a seafood cracker and picks to crack the shells and pick the meat out. I’ve never practiced any particular way of doing this. Just try to get big chunks out instead of shredding the meat. If you don’t have seafood utensils, it’s possible to use the crab itself to get the meat. I’ve used the claws to crack the shells and the sharp tips of the legs to pick the meat out.

Learn how to prepare Dungeness crab + Video. | How to Cook | Seafood | Shellfish | Oregon | Fish & Wildlife | Ocean Life | www.megiswell.com</div/

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  1. Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says

    September 8, 2017 at 5:29 am


    I seriously would have no idea what to do with the live crab, even though I love crab legs! This was super helpful.. although I think I’ll take you along if I go crabbing LOL

    Reply
    • Megan Wells says

      September 25, 2017 at 10:33 pm

      It’s literally the only live animal I know what the heck to do with so I thought it would be cool to show the whole process. I’m your gal if you ever go crabbing!

      Reply

Hello!

I’m Megan Wells. Food, photography, and writing is how I deal with life’s struggles (aka ulcerative colitis). But chocolate always helps too! Read more…

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  • How's everyone's weekend baking going? I'm hoping I'll get inspired to start baking all the holiday treats today. 
I grew up calling these sour cream cookies with cream cheese frosting Bradshaw Cookies. You can grab the full recipe (including the frosting) here: https://megiswell.com/bradshaw-cookies-a-sour-cream-cookie-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ 
The link is in my profile too @megiswell

Bradshaw Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (salted), room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. 
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until just combined. 
In a separate small bowl, mix the sour cream and baking soda together. Set aside. 
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder together. 
Alternate beating in the sour cream mixture and the flour mixture into the creamed sugar and butter until everything is combined.
Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until it is 1/4 of an inch thick. 
Cut out the dough into various shapes. Take the leftover dough, roll it into a ball, and roll it out again to cut out more shapes. Repeat until there is no dough left.
Bake on cookie sheets for 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely before frosting. Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag. 
#holidaybaking #bakeandshare #bakersgonnabake #bakefromscratch #thebakefeed #bakeit #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking #sweetcuisines #thesugarfiles #marthabakes #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed  #f52food #thekitchn #shareyourtable #imsomartha #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodphotography #bhgfood #mycommontable #bareaders #rslove #realsimple #megiswell
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Ingredients
60 Ritz Crackers
Creamy peanut butter (not natural peanut butter)
12 ounces milk or dark melting chocolate
8 ounces white melting chocolate
6 ounces butterscotch baking chips
Instructions
Make peanut butter sandwiches with two Ritz Crackers and peanut butter.
Melt the milk/dark chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch baking chips together in a double boiler.
Dip sandwiches in melted mixture and put on a cookie sheet. Once the sheet is full, place it in the freezer until the cookies are frozen.
Store in a zip lock bag in the freezer. They can be stored at room temperature as well.

#christmascookies #holidaybaking #bakeandshare #bakersgonnabake #bakefromscratch #thebakefeed #bakeit #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking #sweetcuisines #thesugarfiles #marthabakes #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed #f52food #thekitchn #shareyourtable #imsomartha #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodphotography #bhgfood #mycommontable #bareaders #realsimple #megiswell
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Cookies
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1 (15.25 ounce) box vanilla cake mix
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1/2 teaspoon matcha + 1/2 teaspoon more, separated 
1/4 cup raw cashews
2.5 tablespoons raw cacao butter, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar + 1/4 cup more if needed
crushed pistachios for sprinkled topping
raw turbine sugar for sprinkled topping
Instructions
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix together the coconut oil and chickpea brine. Add the cake mix and mix until smooth.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
Combine the cashew milk and matcha powder in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Add the cashews and blend until smooth-it will be a semi-thick liquid.
Pour into a bowl and set aside.
In a glass bowl, melt the cacao butter in 20-second intervals in the microwave.
Add to the cashew and matcha mixture and blend with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and another 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder and blend until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar in 1/4 cup portions, blending between each. Keep going until the frosting is the right consistency, about 1 and 3/4 cups to 2.
Recipe Notes
makes 19 cookies
frosting makes about 1 and 1/4 cups and I used a 1/2 tablespoon on each cookie
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Hit the Save button to keep the recipe OR follow the link in my profile @megiswell ⬇️
https://megiswell.com/white-chocolate-latte/

Ingredients
1-ounce white chocolate melting wafers (13 wafers, 32 grams, or a little less than 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup milk
2 ounces coffee
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
white chocolate shavings (optional)
crushed candy canes (optional)
Instructions
Brew the coffee in a Moka or espresso machine.
If you are topping your drink with whipped cream, beat the heavy whipping cream in a stainless steel or glass bowl on high speed until the cream is the consistency you desire (stiff peaks vs. thick and creamy, etc.). Set aside.

Add the white chocolate and milk to a small saucepan and turn the heat on medium-low. Mix together until the chocolate is melted.

Turn the heat off, and use a milk frother to froth the milk.

Add the coffee to your mug. Pour the frothed milk into the coffee. Top with the whipped cream and dust with white chocolate shavings and crushed peppermints.

#christmasdrinks #holidaydrinks #whitechocolatemocha 
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Hit the Save button to keep the recipe OR follow the link in my profile @megiswell ⬇️
https://megiswell.com/ritz-cracker-peppermint-cookies-3/

Ingredients
10-ounces white chocolate melting wafers (like @ghirardelli)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
62 @ritzcrackers (two sleeves)

Melt the chocolate wafers in a double boiler until smooth, stirring with a rubber spatula. 
Once the chocolate is melted, add the peppermint extract, mixing until incorporated.

Dip the crackers in the melted chocolate and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with red or green sprinkles. 
Once the sheet is full, place it in the freezer until the cookies are frozen.

Store in a zip lock bag in the freezer. Try not to eat all at once. 
#christmascookies #holidaybaking #bakeandshare #bakersgonnabake #bakefromscratch #thebakefeed #bakeit #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking #sweetcuisines #thesugarfiles #marthabakes #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed  #f52food #thekitchn #shareyourtable #imsomartha #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodphotography #bhgfood #mycommontable #bareaders #realsimple #megiswell
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What's your favorite homemade recipe for Thin Mint cookies? Leave your answer in the comments, because I can't wait till January or April for them to go on sale. 
Recipe:

Take your favorite thin mint cookie and place a heaping tablespoon of pistachio ice cream on it. Top with another cookie and press together until the ice cream has spread towards the edge.

Sprinkle or roll the edge of the cookie into crushed pistachios, coating the ice cream.

Keep going until you're full 😋😂 #christmascookies #holidaybaking #halotop #bakeit #thebakefeed #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed #sweetcuisines #thesugarfiles  #f52food #thekitchn #shareyourtable #imsomartha #marthabakes #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #foodphotography #bhgfood #saveurmag #mycommontable #bareaders #realsimple #megiswell
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Hit the Save button to keep the recipe OR follow the link in my profile @megiswell ⬇️
https://megiswell.com/chocolate-cookies-with-peppermint-chips/

Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Chips
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/4 cups butter, softened 
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 drops peppermint extract
10-ounce bag Ghirardelli peppermint chunks
2 to 3 crushed candy canes (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Beat the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint, and beat on medium until just combined.
Slowly beat in the flour mixture.
Stir in the peppermint chunks.
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Bake 8 to 9 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer the cookies to cooling racks. The cookies will be very soft and puffy and will flatten as they cool.

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This weekend, I'll be celebrating a friend's birthday in SF by eating ramen, mochi, soft serve, and hotpot while attempting to pretend I'm karaoke singing.⠀
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Because the air quality is so bad, most of the day we will be snacking on Japanese snacks while hanging out inside an air-filtered apartment, but I'll be rocking a mask anytime I go outside 😷⠀
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What are your plans?⠀
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#eater #eatersf #f52grams #SFguide #bestofbayarea #oaklandeats #oakland #bayareafoodie #oldoakland #sfeats #oaklandandloveit #bestfoodinoakland #sffoodie #eattheworld #foodandwine #lifeandthyme #foodphotography #eeeeeats #saveurmag #mycommontable #tastemade #huffposttaste #buzzfeast  #bareaders #vscofood #theartofslowliving #rslove #realsimple  #cntravelereats
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⠀
And if you feel like drinking mulled wine when you have no company except for Netflix, I've also included instructions on how to make an individual serving, just for you 😉⠀
⠀
#mulledwine #feedfeed @thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed.cocktails #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #thekitchn #f52grams #foodwinewomen #foodandwine #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #onthetable #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #foodphotography #bhgfood #saveurmag #mycommontable #onmytable #tastemade #bareaders #rslove #realsimple #handcraftedcocktails #driiiiinks #drinkstagram #holidaycocktails #cocktailphotography #boglevineyards @boglevineyards #winecocktails ⠀
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#peppermintchocolate #chocolatepeppermint #ghirardelli #chocolatecookies #bakeandshare #bakersgonnabake #bakefromscratch #thebakefeed #bakeit #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking #sweetcuisines #thesugarfiles #marthabakes #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed #f52food #thekitchn #shareyourtable #imsomartha #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodphotography #bhgfood #mycommontable #bareaders #megiswell⠀

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