by Taylor Divico

Created on: July 30, 2009

"Time is of the essence for this crabby west-coaster!" Selecting healthy and fresh Dungeness crabs is key to gaining the full benefits of the succulent tender meat. This protein-rich, sustainable crustacean is simple to prepare and cook, yielding eight legs and two claws worth of low-fat, guilt-free feasting.

JUDGING LIVE DUNGENESS CRAB:
The best bet when choosing live crab, is to buy an alert, hard-shelled crab during winter that appears to be squirming around and feels heavier than it looks. Fresh crab that has recently been caught and is being stored in an aquarium appears more active, retaining a hard shell and sturdy legs, whereas a crab showing less movement and spunk, and a soft shell or mushy legs has been out of its natural habitat longer and is not likely to provide optimum meat. The harder the shell...the healthier the crab.

Dungeness crab is more abundant, bigger, and healthier during winter months due to the summer molting process, in which they grow a soft shell under their hard shell. This process weakens a crab, and takes many stored nutrients and energy to complete, so stock up during winter time at the peak of crab season.

SELECTING COOKED DUNGENESS CRAB:
Crab is best when cooked soon after being caught. Most Dungeness crabs caught in the Pacific Northwest are flash-cooked by fishermen and then packed on ice before being brought to the market so that the meat retains a high quality of nutrients and sweetness. Crabs displayed on their backs retain juices more efficiently. Also, a healthy crab that was cooked live will have the legs tightly pulled up to the body and will not display any black discoloration markings at the joints. These markings are signs that the crab was cooked after dying, which means the meat will be bitter and full of the crab's digestive juices. Yuck!

COOKING DUNGENESS CRAB:
Crab should be picked up by the back and placed into a slightly vented pot of boiling water for eight minutes per pound. When finished boiling, remove the crab and rinse thoroughly with cold water to cool the shell for better handling, and also to remove any guts. Make sure to rinse both sides of the crab.

CLEANING DUNGENESS CRAB BEFORE SERVING:
When cooled, flip crab over so that the underbelly is facing up and remove the triangular flap known as the apron of the crab. Next, pull of the carapace, which is the outer shell and then drain the juices and guts that are attached. Now, remove the gills from both sides of the crab, as they are inedible. Turn the crab to the front and crack off the mouthparts. Finish off by rinsing the crab again to rid of any remaining green juices or guts.

Selecting, cooking, and cleaning Dungeness crab properly adds to the overall experience of this Pacific coast favorite. Serve boiled with butter, stuffed, or as a salad, the lean meat of a Dungeness crab is a buttery, sweet delight.

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