The Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister) belongs to the hard shell crab family. Its shell is light reddish brown on back and sometimes has a purple splotch toward the front. The underside is white to light orange. The shell turns bright red when it is cooked. While a male Dungeness crab can grow to a shell width of 230 mm (9 inches), the minimum size limit for harvest in British Columbia is 165 mm (6 1/2 inches) across the maximum breadth of the shell. Most Dungeness crab weigh between 680 grams (1 1/2 lbs) and 1.4 kg (3 lbs). Dungeness crab is harvested in all months of the year.
Size limits and the restriction on harvesting any female crabs are the primary conservation measures in place in the Dungeness crab fishery. The fishery is considered sustainable and a limited number of commercial licenses are available in BC. Sea Choice lists the Dungeness Crab as a Best Choice seafood.
Dungeness Crab Preparation
The best results are from fresh, live crab. Once the crab is dead, the meat starts to breakdown and the fats darken, imparting bitter flavours to the meat. Crabs that have been left a long time in the tank will slowly consume their own reserves of fat and then flesh. Only buy crab that is active and obviously still kicking. The fresher the better!
The boiling water will quickly kill the crab and is considered a fairly humane approach to dispatching the crab. Alternatively you can plunge a sharp knife into the middle of the underside of the crab and push the back of the knife to the head of the crab, splitting the shell. Another more gently method is to put the crab into the freezer until it dies of hypothermia, about 10-15 minutes.
1 Dungeness crab (1.5 – 3 lb)
Salted boiling water
(the water can be flavoured with herbs, ginger, onions, celery, etc)
Bring water to boil in a large stock pot. Add the whole crab and cook for about 8 minutes. If the water boils too rapidly and foams, reduce the heat to medium high. Remove crab with a pair of large tongs (or strain into a colander). Run cool water over the crab to stop the cooking process.
When cool enough to handle, take the crab and flip it on its back. Near the back end of the crab you will see a small flap of shell called the apron. Using a spoon, lift the flap and remove. Over the sink or bowl, grab the top shell near the back end and pull upward to separate the shell from the body. There will be a lot of juice and fat released (can be reserved to add to a sauce). Using the spoon remove the feather gills and guts of the crab and discard.
Run the crab quickly under water to remove any bits clinging to the meat. You can also use the spoon to remove some of the white cartilage covering the meat. At this point you can cut up the crab in between each leg if using the crab for stir fries or to make it easier to remove the meat as you eat.
To shell the crab meat, take the cut-up crab sections and remove the flesh with your fingers – a small fork or chopstick is a helpful tool. Try to keep the meat in as large a chunk as possible. Crack each leg or claw with a crab cracker (or the back of a chef’s knife) and break in half. Remove the meat with the chopstick or fork. Repeat with remaining crab. When finished, wash your hands and gently sift through the crab meat to feel for any pieces of shell that may have slipped through. Place in a container with an airtight lid. A good trick is to place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the meat, then cover with the sealed lid. Save the shells to make crab bisque.
The crab meat is fairly perishable, oxygen will start to blacken the meat and turn the sweet flesh bitter. Commercially picked crab meat is usually frozen for safety and longevity. It is defrosted before it is sold. You will pay about 4-5 times the price per pound for crab meat as opposed to cooking a fresh crab – and miss all the fun.
