Dungess crab is available year-round but harvest is at its peak from December through April
I keep seeing them in the meat case at the grocery, but so far haven't indulged in them.
I'm talking about Oregon Dungeness crab. They are in season and beginning to be heavy-bodied. It is time to enjoy them.
Actually Dungess crab is available year-round but harvest is at its peak from December through April. You can purchase it fresh, canned or frozen, but in my opinion it tastes best when freshly cooked by the fishmonger at the wharf.
If that isn't possible, local groceries are offering fully cooked and ready-to-eat cooked crab, which only requires cleaning before serving. 
To clean crab, refrigerate it until you are ready to eat. When ready to prepare the crab, remove the back by holding the base of the crab with one hand, place your thumb under the shell at midpoint and pull off the shell. The leaflike gills are now exposed. Gently scrape them away with a thumb or spoon. Wash away the "crab butter" (viscera) under a heavy stream of cold water.
You are now ready to crack the crab.
Twist off each leg (including the two large legs with claws) where they join the body. Break off the small pinchers and discard, or save them to pick meat out of the legs and body cavity.
Break the large claws in two and crack with a nutcracker or place on a cutting board and give a whack with a mallet or small hammer.
Continue cracking the legs with nutcracker or mallet and remove the juicy, succulent meat. The smaller joints of the legs can be snapped with fingers and meat either sucked out or removed with a pick or fork or that little pincher.
Grasp the main body of the crab in both hands and firmly snap in two. Place each section on a cutting board and strike with the mallet to break small bones and loosen the meat.
Use a pick or the small pincher to pull out the meat. Don't leave anything behind.
If you are not eating the meat right away cover it and refrigerate until ready.
How much will you need? According to the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, the meat-to-shell ratio is approximately 25%, so an average yield for a 2-pound crab is ½ pound of picked meat; that makes enough for two people.
If you're having a crab feed, count on at least one crab per couple and then toss in a few more for good measure. You can always add it to your scrambled eggs the next day.
Eating mounds of fresh crab with cocktail sauce is a perfectly fine way to enjoy it, but don't limit yourself to that.
You can eat Dungeness all winter long so experiment with these recipes. Both of the recipes shared today would make delightful dinners for family and friends.
Don't feel like cracking crab? You can buy it already cracked of course. That's fine, but you'll miss the adventure!
To learn more about Oregon's Dungeness crab harvest and get more recipes, visit oregondungeness.org.
Bon Appetit! Make eating an adventure!
Oregon Dungeness Crab Chowder
3 ½ pound live or cooked Dungeness crab
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup leek (white and light green part only), sliced into rounds and washed
1 cup peeled, diced onion
1 cup peeled, diced carrots
2 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups red potato, cut into ½-inch dice
2 tablespooons chopped parsley
If using live crab, cook in boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until orange in color.
Drain, chill and prepare as follows: Cut crab into quarters and pick meat out, chill and reserve. Break up shells.
Heat the olive oil over moderate heat in a soup pot. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until brown. Add leeks and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove leeks and bacon and reserve.
Raise the heat to high, add the crab shells and cook stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes.
Add onion, carrots, thyme, cumin, coriander, cayenne and black pepper to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned.
Pour the white wine into the pot and cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Lower the heat and simmmer for 50 minutes.
Strain in a colander, pressing the solids to extract the maximum amount of liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return the chowder base to the pot and add the potatoes, reserved leeks and bacon. Add cream and simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked (7 to 10 minutes). Add reserved crab meat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Recipe created by Vitaly Paley of Paley's Place for the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.
Oregon Dungeness Crab Cakes with Caper Remoulade Sauce
1 pound Oregon Dungeness crab meat
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons red onion, minced
2 tablespoons celery, minced
2 tablespoons red pepper, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper
Olive oil for frying
Saute onions, celery, red pepper until translucent, cool. Combine with all other ingredients and form into 2-inch cakes.
Press panko onto cakes and refrigerate for 1 hour before pan frying (or oven baking). Fry in olive oil until golden brown and crispy.
Serve with remoulade sauce as desired.
Remoulade Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
½ teaspono black pepper
3 teaspoons lemon juice.
Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Culinary Ambassador Chef Leif Benson, Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.
Barb Randall welcomes your food questions and research suggestions. She can be reached at 503-479-2374 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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2020-01-30 08:00:00Z
https://pamplinmedia.com/lor/54-my-community/450047-365964-lifting-the-fork-whats-for-dinner-cracked-crab
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