Best Boiled Dungeness Crab With Homemade Cocktail Sauce Recipes

THE EASIEST WHOLE DUNGENESS CRAB RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Once the water comes to a boil, remove from heat. Immerse two of the crabs into the water for 5-10 minutes until the crabs are warmed through. Remove the crabs from the water and set aside to drain. Bring the water to another boil and repeat with remaining crabs.
• Clean the crabs while the other two crabs are warming in the hot water. Crack the legs with the back of a heavy knife. Serve on a platter with fresh dill leaves, parsley and sliced lemons and limes.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low and skim the foam from the butter. Stir in the Old Bay Seasoning and the lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix the ketchup with the prepared horseradish. Serve the flavored butter and cocktail sauce alongside the crab.

DUNGENESS CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine first four ingredients with enough water to submerge crabs. Do not submerge crabs at this point. Bring liquid to a simmer and add crabs headfirst to water. Cook the 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs about 15 minutes, and the 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes. Strain cooked crabs into a colander and rinse briefly under cool water. Serve with Drawn Butter, Tarragon Aioli and Aioli with Piment d'Espelette.
• In a small pan over low heat, melt butter and skim any solids that rise to the top. Pour butter into ramekins for use tableside, leaving behind any milk solids that have settled to the bottom of the pan.
• In the base of a blender or food processor, whirl garlic cloves, tarragon leaves and egg yolk to create a creamy blend. Add lemon zest and juice and blend again. With machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil to create an emulsified, creamy consistency. Avoid adding oil too quickly or vinaigrette will separate. Add a teaspoon of water when emulsion becomes tight and then continue to add oil. Season to taste with salt and fresh pepper.
• Place garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; process to combine. Add egg and, with the motor running, slowly add oils until mixture is thickened and emulsified. Stir in piment d'Espelette and refrigerate.

QUICK COCKTAIL SAUCE

Steps:

• In small bowl combine ketchup, horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire, a squirt of lemon, and a dash of Tabasco sauce. Chill and serve.

DUNGENESS CRABCAKES WITH GREEN COCKTAIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Tear up the white bread and pulse the pieces in a food processor to make fine, soft crumbs. (You should have about 6 cups crumbs.) Remove the bread crumbs to a shallow pan and mix in 1/2 cup of the chopped parsley (reserving the remaining 1/4 cup for the crabcake mixture). Set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot pepper, mustard, paprika, thyme, celery seeds, and black pepper and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise. Remove the mayonnaise from the food processor and refrigerate.
• Place the crabmeat in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl. Pull the cheesecloth tightly around the crabmeat and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Place the chopped onions and bell peppers in a sieve set over a bowl and use your hands to squeeze out as much juice as possible. In a large bowl, combine the onions and bell peppers with remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Add the chilled mayonnaise and crabmeat and toss lightly to combine. Add 1 cup of the bread crumbs-parsley mixture and combine. Do not overwork the mixture or the crabcakes may get gummy. Gently form 8 patties and roll the patties lightly in the remaining bread crumb-parsley mixture. Leave the crabcakes in the pan of the bread crumbs until you saute them.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degree. Using a nonstick saute pan and butter as needed, panfry the crabcakes, in batches, until golden brown on both sides and place them on a baking sheet as they are browned, put them in the oven until they are heated all the way through, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Serve 1 crabcake as an appetizer or 2 as an entree. Serve with a ramekin of cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge.
• Cook's Note: The crabcakes hold together better if prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator before cooking. Store them in the pan of bread crumbs, covered with plastic wrap.
• Put the tomatillos in a food processor and process until coarsely pureed. Remove the tomatillo puree to a sieve, drain off the liquid, and discard. Put the drained puree in a small bowl and stir in the vinegar, sugar, pepper sauce, garlic, mustard seeds, and horseradish until combined.
• Yield: 2/3 cup

CLASSIC CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• Place first 7 ingredients on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose seasonings; tie securely with string. , In a large stockpot, bring water, salt, lemon juice, cayenne and spice bag to a boil. Using tongs, add crab to stockpot; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until shells turn bright red, about 15 minutes. , Using tongs, remove crab from pot. Run under cold water or plunge into ice water. Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.

DUNGENESS DUNGENESS CRABS WITH WHITE WINE-GARLIC

Steps:

• Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).
• To kill each crab, place it on its back and hold it down with a large cleaver. Use a hammer to tap the top edge of the cleaver and cut the crab in half lengthwise all the way through. Remove and discard the dangling tail flaps and mouth parts. Turn the crab over. Pull off and discard the top shell. Remove and discard the gills. Rinse each half of the crab under cold running water and use your finger to scoop out and discard the dark viscera. Slice each half into five pieces by cutting between each leg and through the body. Using the hammer again (or a nutcracker or crab cracker), crack each section of each leg to make eating easier after the crabs are cooked.
• In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet combine the butter, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
• Place the skillet over direct high heat and cook, with the lid open, until the butter melts and the garlic turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it comes to a boil. Remove the skillet from the grill and set it down on a heat-proof surface.
• Grill the crab pieces over direct high heat, with the lid open, for about 4 minutes, turning once, and then move them to the skillet. Return the skillet over direct high heat and gently turn the crab pieces with tongs to coat them with the sauce. Cook until the liquid boils and the crab is fully cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with pieces of bread to dip into the liquid remaining in the skillet.