Steaming Dungeness Crab: How Long Is Too Long?

Dungeness crab is a West Coast favourite for its sweet, delicate flavour. The best way to prepare this crab is to steam it, and it can be done in under 10 minutes. The duration of steaming depends on the size of the crab, and whether it is cooked from frozen or thawed. A two-pound crab, for example, should be steamed for at least 30 minutes.

How to prepare the crab for steaming

Preparing crabs for steaming is a simple process, but it's important to do it thoroughly to ensure your crabs are clean and ready for cooking. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your crabs for steaming:

Step 1: Keep Crabs Chilled

If you're using live crabs, it's important to keep them chilled until you're ready to cook. You can use a cooler full of ice or cold packs to achieve this. If you have access to a cold garage or basement, you can store them there. Just remember that crabs should not be submerged in water, as they need access to oxygen.

Step 2: Clean the Crabs

Some people prefer to clean their crabs before cooking, while others do it afterward. To clean crabs before steaming, follow these steps:

• Remove the apron (abdomen) by pulling off the shell flaps on the crab's belly. This is the triangular piece at the crab's tail, and you can use your hands or a knife to remove it.
• Remove the carapace (back shell) by sticking your thumb into the hole left from removing the apron and lifting firmly. The shell should detach, along with the guts.
• Take out the gills—the leafy, spongy parts on both sides of the crab—and discard them.
• Rinse the crabs with water to wash away any remaining guts or grime.

Step 3: Defrost Frozen Crab Legs

If you're using frozen crab legs, you'll need to defrost them before steaming. Place them in the refrigerator for about eight hours, and make sure they're in a watertight container to avoid making a mess. Don't leave frozen crab legs in the refrigerator for more than two days without cooking them.

Step 4: Prepare the Pot

You'll need a tall, high-walled pot for steaming crabs. A sturdy pot or steamer with a steaming rack or separator is ideal. This ensures that the crabs don't touch the hot liquid during cooking. If you don't have a steamer, you can create a makeshift rack by balling up some tin foil and placing it at the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: Add Liquid to the Pot

For steaming liquid, you can use water, beer, vinegar, or a combination of these. A Maryland-style approach is to use two cans of cheap beer and an equal amount of apple cider or distilled white vinegar. You can also add spices like bay leaves, salt, garlic, chiles, limes, or cilantro to the liquid.

Step 6: Place Crabs in the Pot

Use tongs to place three to four crabs belly-down on the steaming rack in the pot. Cover them with a spice blend, and then add another layer of crabs and repeat the seasoning process. You can find crab steaming spice blends at many grocery stores, or you can make your own. A basic blend might include celery salt, dry mustard, cumin, black pepper, rock salt, and nutmeg.

How long to steam the crab

The length of steaming time for cooked Dungeness crab depends on several factors, including the size and weight of the crab, whether it is thawed or frozen, and your preferred level of heating.

If you are steaming crab legs and claws, fill the bottom of a pot with an inch of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil and add the crab. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and allow the crab to steam for 4 to 6 minutes if it is thawed. If the crab is frozen, steam for about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

If you are steaming a whole crab, the process will take longer. First, clean the crab by hosing it down to remove any dirt or residue. Then, fill a steamer pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the crab upside down in the steamer, with the abdomen facing upwards. Cover the pot and steam for 25 to 30 minutes. Check the crab's colour to determine if it is done—the shell should turn from dark brown to bright orange, and there may be solidified fat coming out of the shell.

It is important to note that the cooking times mentioned above are just guidelines, and the actual steaming time may vary depending on your specific crab and equipment. Additionally, some pre-cooked crab may only need to be reheated, which requires less steaming time.

To enhance the flavour of your steamed crab, you can add various aromatics to the steaming liquid, such as lemon slices, white wine, herbs, or garlic butter sauce.

How to tell when the crab is cooked

Dungeness crab is usually sold pre-cooked and pre-scored, so you only need to heat it up. However, it can be tricky to tell when the crab is cooked, especially when you're reheating pre-cooked crab.

The best indicator that your crab is cooked is when its shell changes colour from dark brown to bright orange. You may also see yellow-white, opaque solidified fat coming out of the crab when it's done. The meat should be tender and opaque when cooked (while raw meat is more translucent). If you're cooking a whole crab, the tomalley (the crab's liver and pancreas) should be a bright mustard colour.

If you're reheating pre-cooked crab legs, it can be difficult to tell when they're hot all the way through because the colour of the shell won't change. However, you should be able to smell a fresh seafood aroma when the crab meat is hot. You can also test one of the crab legs by cracking it open—if the crab meat is steaming and hot inside, then the others are probably ready to eat, too.

When steaming Dungeness crab, it's important to keep the cooking time short to avoid overcooking. Steam for about 4 minutes from thawed, and at least 6 minutes if cooking the crab from frozen.

How to serve the crab

Dungeness crab is a sweet and delicate West Coast delicacy. There are many ways to serve and eat this crab, which is often sold pre-cooked and pre-scored.

Firstly, you can eat the crab straight out of the shell with a simple dipping sauce of salt, pepper, and lemon or lime juice. You can also add melted butter for an occasional dip.

If you want to get at the meat, you can crack open the crab and remove the outer shell. You can then clean out the lungs and cut open the rest of the crab to access the meat. The meat can be served with a variety of sauces, or plain, with just a squeeze of lemon.

The crab's "butter" is found under the shell and is considered a delicacy by some, though others discard it due to its high cholesterol. It can be spread on sourdough bread or crackers.

The crab's "lungs" are actually the crab's gills and should be discarded. They are found under the shell, along the side, and are white and pointy with a spongy texture.

The meat can also be flaked into salads, made into crab cakes, or served with pasta or mac and cheese.

If you want to get at the crab's tomalley (its fat or liver), steaming is the best way to cook the crab. The tomalley will be a bright mustard colour when cooked. You can eat the tomalley from the back shell, or mix it with rice.

Finally, don't forget to save the crab shells! You can make crab stock for a bouillabaisse by putting the shells in a pot of water with a bay leaf, peppercorns, and orange peel. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

How to store leftovers

Storing leftover crab is simple, and there are plenty of delicious recipes to use up your leftovers.

Firstly, it's important to note that cooked crab should be refrigerated or frozen as soon as possible. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, and in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you have time, it's a good idea to break down the crab before placing it in the fridge, so you don't have to worry about reheating it in the shell later.

To store cooked crab in the refrigerator, clean the crab by removing the gills and intestines, and rinsing it thoroughly with cold water. Once cleaned, wrap the crab in damp paper towels and store it in an airtight container. Place the container in the coldest part of your refrigerator, which is usually the bottom shelf. Alternatively, place the crab in a large plastic bag with a few ice packs.

To store cooked crab in the freezer, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in an airtight container or a plastic bag. Make sure to label the container with the date so you can keep track of how long it's been frozen.

Now, for the fun part: recipes! Leftover crab is delicious in crab cakes, crab salad, crab soup, crab dip, crab sandwiches, crab arancini, and crab risotto. You can also add leftover crab to mashed potatoes, omelets, or California avocados.

Frequently asked questions