Dips, Muffins, Stews, Chili Crab and Extra

In my neck of the woods (the coniferous wonderland that’s the Pacific Northwest), if you discover freshly steamed Dungeness crabs, one of the simplest ways to savor their candy, ocean-kissed flesh is sort of easy: armed with a cracker and a choose and a wholesome provide of drawn butter, lemon wedges, and perhaps a ramekin of cocktail sauce, or a bottle of fermented sizzling sauce. They are a expensive splurge on par with dwell lobsters and dry-aged steaks, and the preciousness of Dungeness virtually calls for a spartan method. Choosing a dear crab to make muffins (scrumptious although they might be) looks like a time-consuming absurdity.

After all, discovering dwell Dungeness adjustments the sport solely. Dishes like chili crab and cioppino are excellent methods to have fun this uncommon prevalence, as chopping up and simmering the crustacean in a flavorful broth or sauce leads to a dish that feels worthy of the expenditure. The crab’s shell and juices taste the cooking liquid, and the cooking liquid seasons the crabmeat (if you happen to flippantly crack every claw and limb to allow this magical intermingling).

Candy, savory blue crabs are a very completely different—however no much less particular—ingredient, which Critical Eats editorial director Daniel Gritzer has exhaustively coated in his recipes(his mother was a Maryland native and he is an honorary Marylander, as least so far as crabs are involved). Whether or not you are planning on a large, messy crab feast or getting ready a sublime dinner of sautéed soft-shell crab for 2, we have you coated.

Lastly, for these of you beginning with picked crabmeat, we’ve got loads of scrumptious concepts for easy methods to profit from it, from crab muffins and puffs to molten, breadcrumb-topped dips and spicy vodka-spiked pasta.