When Dungeness crab season starts on the West Coast, there’s a mad dash to cook and eat as many fresh live crabs as possible before it ends. Steaming whole crabs and cleaning them might sound intimidating, but the process is relatively easy: Make sure to bring salted water to a rolling boil, remove a few select pieces of the shell, clean out a few squidgy bits, and rinse. The real fun is cracking and picking them. Make sure to have seafood crackers or small hammers on hand to get at all of the sweet, flaky meat. If you find yourself with leftover crabmeat, use it in Crab Cakes or Crab Omelette. 

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Special equipment: Once your crab is cooked and cleaned, extract the meat by cracking the claws, legs, and body open with small hammers or seafood crackers.

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Game plan: Fresh live crab should be purchased from us and cooked the same day—the crabs can only be stored in the refrigerator for a few hours slowing their metabolism so they won't pinch you once taken from our boat.

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A good rule of thumb is 15 minutes for a 1-5-2.5 lb crab (after the water returns to a boil). Over 3 lbs, 20 minutes.  If you’re cooking more than one crab at a time, calculate the average weight by taking the total weight of the crabs and dividing by the number of crabs you have.  And be sure to use an extra-large pot with a tight-fitting lid.