Joe’s Crab Shack Recipe

Prepare crabs

If using live crabs, humanely dispatch and rinse under cold water. Remove the top shell, gills, and stomach sac; rinse again and halve or quarter large crabs. Pat shells and meat dry with paper towels. If using pre-cooked crab, warm and set aside; adjust timing in step for reheating without overcooking.

Parboil potatoes and corn (if using)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add halved red potatoes and simmer 10 minutes, then add corn and cook 6–8 more minutes until potatoes are just tender. Drain and set aside. This can be done while preparing butter.

Make the garlic butter sauce

In a large heavy skillet or wide sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil and 1/2 cup of the butter. Once butter melts and begins to foam, add the minced garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant (do not brown). Add the brown sugar and soy sauce and stir to dissolve.

Season sauce

Stir in Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne, cracked black pepper, lemon zest and the white parts of the sliced green onions. Pour in the white wine (or seafood stock) and simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly and marry flavors.

Cook the crab

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the crab pieces to the pan in a single layer, shell-side down where possible. Spoon sauce over the crab and cover the pan. Let steam 6–8 minutes (for raw crabs) until crab meat is opaque and heated through; for pre-cooked crab, steam 4–5 minutes just to reheat and absorb sauce. Turn crab pieces once midway and baste with sauce.

Finish with butter and herbs

Remove the lid and add the remaining 1/2 cup butter in chunks, allowing it to melt into the sauce while spooning over the crab. Add lemon juice, chopped parsley and green parts of green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and additional cracked pepper or cayenne if desired.

Plate and serve

Transfer crab to a large platter. Spoon generous amounts of garlic butter sauce and pieces of corn and potatoes (if using) over the top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and crusty bread to soak up sauce.

If you prepared corn and potatoes, toss them briefly in a few tablespoons of the finished garlic butter in a separate bowl so they’re coated before plating.

Warm the bread rolls in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–7 minutes. Place lemon wedges on the platter and sprinkle extra chopped parsley over everything for color.

Provide crab crackers and picks for diners to extract meat; serve napkins or seafood bibs.