Crab Recipe

Humanely dispatch and rinse

Place live crab in the freezer for 15–20 minutes to render them insensible (optional humane step). Rinse each crab under cold running water to remove debris. Set an ice bath (bowl with cold water and ice) ready for after cooking.

If using already-cooked fresh crab, skip the humane dispatch step and simply rinse and proceed to reheating in the cooking liquid for 3–5 minutes.

Prepare boiling broth

In a large stockpot (large enough to hold the crab comfortably), add 4 liters of water, kosher salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, Old Bay seasoning, and the whole lemon halved. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Taste a spoonful of the broth; it should be pleasantly salty (like sea water) — adjust with up to 2 tbs more salt if needed.

Cook the crab

Once the broth is boiling vigorously, grasp each crab firmly by the back shell and carefully lower into the pot, belly-side down. Return to a steady boil, cover, and time as follows: for 1–1.25 lb (approx) crabs: 12 minutes; for 1.5–2 lb crabs: 15 minutes. For the two whole crabs specified, boil for 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. The shells will turn bright orange when done.

When the time is up, use tongs to lift the crabs from the pot and immediately transfer them to the prepared ice bath to stop cooking and firm the meat, leaving them in the ice bath for 3–5 minutes.

Prepare garlic butter

While the crab chills briefly, melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.

Crack and plate the crab

Remove crabs from the ice bath and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove the top shell by inserting your thumbs under the shell at the back and lifting it off. Discard gills and internal guts (or save the roe if present and desired). Break the crab into leg clusters and body pieces. Use crab crackers or a mallet and seafood picks to extract meat from claws and legs. Arrange pieces on a platter.

Serve immediately with small bowls of the warm garlic butter and lemon wedges. Offer crab crackers and picks to guests. Sprinkle a little extra chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon over the meat just before eating.

Leftover cooked crab meat can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.