Advanced Dungeness & Dragons

The dungeness crab got its name from the town of Dungeness, Washington where it was first commercially harvested. But pragmatically speaking, who the fuck cares?

Dungeness crab (live) is typically cooked in a stock pot with salted, boiling water. You could also throw in some seasonings like sliced lemon, garlic, whatever. Just throw the critter into the boiling water but quickly whisper a prayer of forgiveness lest ye be smited straight to hell for so savagely killing one of god's creatures. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.

Afterward, you have two main options: crack it and start eating or further cook it. Regardless, you will have to peel off the shell and rip off its legs. To get the legs off, just give them a twist-pull, kind of like a titty twister. To get the shell off, put the crab in one hand, belly down. Next, work the tip of your finger in between the shell and body where its hind legs used to be. Just slowly wiggle and the shell comes off very easily. Next remove the gills and cartilage. Optionally, rinse out the crab butter (its liver). It is high in cholestrol but if you like it, then keep it.

Now, if you're a crab purist (Coral), you'll probably go with the cook and eat method. The pieces go well with some melted butter and some sourdough bread. If you want some extra oomph, you can cook it further by oven roasting it or just pan frying it. I used a recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse that turned out to be delicious. You can download it here.

The best way to eat crab is usually with your hands. There's something primally satisfying about cracking the shell in between your teeth and sucking the meat out (don't be gross). Enjoy!