Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab with Garlic Butter and White Wine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large stockpot (12-quart) for parboiling
• •Large roasting pan or 14-inch cast iron skillet
• •Crab crackers or kitchen shears
• •Seafood picks or small forks
• •Small saucepan for garlic butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the crab humanely

   Place your live crab in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. This sedates the crab humanely before cooking. While it chills, fill a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a rolling boil. When the crab is sedated and moving slowly, grasp it firmly from behind at the base of the back legs where the claws cannot reach you. Plunge it headfirst into the boiling water and cook for exactly 8 minutes. This parcooks the crab just enough to make cleaning easier while leaving most of the cooking to the roasting.

   A live crab should feel heavy for its size and show vigorous movement. Lethargy indicates stress or poor health. Buy from a tank where the crabs are active.
2. 2

   Clean and prepare for roasting

   Transfer the parcooked crab to an ice bath to stop the cooking. After 5 minutes, remove and place belly-up on a cutting board. Pull off the triangular apron flap on the underside and discard. Lift off the top shell (carapace) by inserting your thumb under the shell at the back and pulling firmly upward. Reserve the shell. Remove and discard the feathery gills (dead man's fingers) from both sides of the body. Rinse away the greenish-gray guts under cold water, preserving any golden crab butter (tomalley) if you enjoy it. The crab is now ready for roasting.

   Some cooks prize the tomalley for its intense briny flavor. Mix it into your garlic butter if you're adventurous. Others prefer to discard it. Both approaches are valid.
3. 3

   Make the garlic butter

   Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter until it foams. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges. This takes about 2 minutes. Do not let it brown. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest, red pepper flakes, half the parsley, salt, and black pepper. The butter should smell intensely aromatic, sharp with garlic and bright with citrus.

   Use good butter here. European-style cultured butter with higher fat content produces a richer, more flavorful sauce. The difference is noticeable.
4. 4

   Arrange and roast

   Place the cleaned crab body, legs spread, in a large roasting pan or cast iron skillet. Nestle the reserved top shell alongside if space permits. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan. Spoon half the garlic butter generously over the exposed crab meat, working it into the leg joints and body cavity. Reserve the remaining butter for serving. Slide the pan into the hot oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes. The shell will turn brilliant orange-red, the butter will sizzle and brown slightly at the edges, and the kitchen will fill with an aroma that makes patience difficult.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Remove the pan from the oven. The crab is done when the meat at the leg joints is opaque and pulls away cleanly from the shell. Transfer to a large wooden board or serving platter. Pour any pan juices into the reserved garlic butter, add the lemon juice, and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust salt. Scatter the remaining fresh parsley and the chives over the crab. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately with the warm garlic butter in a bowl for dipping and thick slices of crusty bread to soak up every drop.

   Provide crab crackers, small forks or picks, and plenty of napkins. Eating crab is messy, intimate work. That's part of the pleasure.

Chef Tips

• •Dungeness crab season peaks from December through April on the Pacific Coast. This is when the crabs are meatiest and the fishery most sustainable. Out of season, consider substituting blue crab or snow crab legs, adjusting cooking times accordingly.
• •If handling live crab unsettles you, many fishmongers will dispatch and clean the crab for you. Ask them to do so within the hour of your purchase, and roast it the same day.
• •The wine matters less than you think. Any dry, unoaked white works beautifully. I often use whatever bottle I plan to drink with dinner. A crisp Muscadet or Picpoul de Pinet matches the brininess of the crab perfectly.
• •Save the top shell after serving. Washed and dried, it makes a handsome vessel for future crab salads or dips. Waste nothing in a proper kitchen.
• •For a Pacific Northwest feast, serve alongside roasted fingerling potatoes, grilled corn with chive butter, and a simple green salad dressed with hazelnut oil and cider vinegar.

Advance Preparation

• •The garlic butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm gently before using.
• •Crab must be purchased live and cooked the same day. There is no shortcut here. Freshness is everything.
• •Bread can be sliced and wrapped in foil, ready to warm in the oven during the final minutes of roasting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 710g)