Dungeness crab

Metacarcinus magister
(Dinner goodicus)

We've had good specials on fresh crab in Seattle this winter-- as low as $3.49 a pound. Of course you pay for the whole thing and then just eat the legs. And you have to work for the treat, since these are nothing like Eastern soft-shell crabs. But practice makes perfect. John is good with the specialized extraction tools and he's a meticulous claw cracker, but I like the "lump meat" because I can pull it apart with my fingers. This is just the larger pieces in the body cavities where the legs attach.

So we're happy ripping apart and devouring a crustacean between us with no serious competition. Not a pretty sight, but after you've been married a long time you tend to work these things out. There's no dainty way to eat a whole crab anyway, which is why they give you a silly bib in restaurants. It's better to eat them at home and make a big mess with flying shell. The crab from the grocery store is already cooked, so I just steam it for a few minutes and melt some butter. The only other way to buy a whole crab is live from a tank, and then do the dirty deed at home. These are more expensive. (A dead crab cannot be cooked later because the digestive juices spoil the meat.) Nasty cooking details aside, Dungeness crab meat is famous for being sweet and succulent. Here's a quote: the fatty meat and rich juices create a very filling and satisfying meal when consumed right out of the shell, and a two pound crab will easily serve two people.

Dungeness crab has always been plentiful along the west coast and was appreciated by the coastal Indians. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that fishermen discovered a market for all those crabs, and this happened at a fishing village called Dungeness on the Olympic Peninsula. In just a few years the prolific crab became the most profitable fishery on the west coast. The touristy Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco started when fishermen sold directly to the public. At one point in the 1930's during the Great Depression "crab wars," they sold for for nickel each. Lets' see, I could have bought 120 crabs for the price of one now. The old Sicilian fisherman cooked up their day's catch in boilers on the wharf, and eventually these rough fish shacks evolved into expensive seafood restaurants like Alioto's.

Fisherman's Wharf 1900
Photo: J.B. Monaco

The sea floor must be teeming with them because Dungeness crab is also sustainable (yea!) and considered one of the best managed fisheries. So get out the plastic tablecloth and dive in.