After an all but lost 2015 season, Dungeness crab season kicked off this weekend! Can you hear it? The sound of millions of San Franciscans pulling out their beloved Thanksgiving crab recipes? Who needs a turkey when you’ve got fresh Dungeness crab right out of the Pacific.
If you’re a newcomer who doesn’t quite know the ways of Dungeness crab, or you’ve been here so long, you’ve fallen into a rut…well, I’ve rounded up some recipes for you. Some scream California, others herald from the other crab capital of the country: Maryland. What these all have in common, though, is a light touch, letting the sweet, saline flavor of crab shine through. What’s the point of dousing crab this good in bread crumbs, cream, and mayo?
Our go-to preparation is the simple Dungeness Crab Roll with Chives. You can’t go wrong with that. If you’d like to keep it just as easy but fancy it up a bit, here’s Oven-Roasted Dungeness Crab in Herbed Butter. It looks like a total, magical mess.
Dungeness crab works really well as part of a decadent salad, where the crab can really be the star — Dungeness Crab with Fennel Salad and Creamy Lime Dressing or Dungeness Crab with Thai Basil and Mint.
But, of course, if warm crab comfort food beckons you, how about some Crab Tacos with Smashed Avocado and a Miso Maple Lime Vinagraitte or Tostadas with Chile-Butter Crab and Avocado-Tomatillo Crema. If crab cakes are where your heart lies, this bare-bones, no bread crumb, huge lump crabmeat recipe is the way to go: Baltimore-Style Crab Cakes.
Then there’s the king of all Dungeness crab recipes: San Francisco-style cioppino.
Finally, what to do with all the discarded crab shells and leftover crab meat? Crab Bisque, of course.
Enjoy everyone!
