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Yankee Pier: Dungeness Crab Season
Well, it's that time of year again. The northwest coast (from Alaska to Santa Cruz) is blessed with an abundance of Dungeness crab, one of the tastiest and most commercially important delicacies our shores have to offer. The cancer magister, or, master crab, is named after a city named Dungeness, Washington, where the first commercial harvesting took place.
Technically, crab season runs from mid-November to June, but eighty percent of the local crabs are snatched up by February, and more often than not, that's the kind you want. Typically the California crabs are sweeter than Oregon or Washington crabs (and less expensive too!), even though the opposite is generally thought to be true. And although this year's crabs are a little on the small side, it actually worked out better for the fishermen-as the gossip over crab size spread, the larger boats from Oregon and Washington, for the most part, stayed out of California waters, allowing the coast to make up for last year's disappointing harvest.
So maybe you've been fortunate enough to have one of these delicious creatures in your possession-now what? It's a little intimidating if you have never worked with one. If it isn't still alive, it's best that it was pretty recently killed, or precooked and frozen (in which case, all you would have to do is clean it, or steam it first if you want it warm). Some people just throw the crab in deep enough salted boiling water to submerge and let it do its thing for about 10-20 minutes, depending on how large the crab is. Others say a more humane method is freezing the crab for about a half hour beforehand so it is not conscious when it is killed.
When the crab is done, you should use rubber gloves to remove it and clean it as it will be very hot and is best served as such. Remove the back by holding the base with one hand and pulling the shell away with the other. Turn the crab over, pulling on the triangular-shaped section, removing. Gently scrape away the inedible, brownish gills on either side with your fingers or a spoon, also removing the intestine, which runs down the back. Inside the cavity, there is some mushy
yellow matter which can be thrown away or eaten (some find this a delicacy, but it is a little fishy and not for everyone). After that, it's just a matter of twisting off the legs and breaking into them with forks or mallets or anything else you may have. It can be a lot of work, but it's worth it.
Dungeness crab is one of the meatier crabs, a quarter of its weightactually being the meat. It's high in protein and minerals, low in fat, a versatile, sustainable option for seafood lovers everywhere, even featured on Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch "Best Choice" list. And as with many delicately flavored fishes, it's best to keep the preparations simple to maintain its natural sweet flavor. With melted butter and lemon is a favorite, but it's also delicious in salads, raviolis, bisques and stir-fries. But as with all fish, freshness is key.
Eat fresh, eat local, always!
