Oven-Roasted Dungeness Crab With a Kick

Oven-Roasted Dungeness Crab With a Kick

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History of Dungeness crab at San Francisco’s Fishermans Wharf: “The opening of crab season in November is a festive occasion. It is the day when the cauldrons along Fisherman’s Wharf are lighted, ready to receive the boxes piled high with Dungeness crab hoisted from the decks of the first boats that come chuffing back into port. It is a time for gourmet feasting that will last through many months to follow. 

• Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

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• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/3 cup Sambal (Huy Fung Foods makes a delicious one)
• ¼ cup packed chopped parsley
• ¼ cup packed chopped cilantro
• 2 (2-pound) Dungeness crabs, cracked and cleaned, bodies broken in quarters
• 3 limes

Instructions

1. Saute: In a large skillet or sauté pan (or roaster, if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all the crab), melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until soft, but not browned. Add Sambal, parsley and cilantro, reserving a small handful for garnishing. Add crab, and toss to coat with the sauce.
2. Roast: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Move skillet to the oven, and roast for 20 minutes, until heated through.Put crab on a platter, and add the juice of 1–2 limes to the remaining sauce in skillet. Whisk to combine and pour over crab. Finish with remaining herbs and lime wedges.

• Author: Kathleen Korb
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Main course
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: California

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4

Keywords: dungeness crab

History of Dungeness crab at San Francisco’s Fishermans Wharf: “The opening of crab season in November is a festive occasion. It is the day when the cauldrons along Fisherman’s Wharf are lighted, ready to receive the boxes piled high with Dungeness crab hoisted from the decks of the first boats that come chuffing back into port. It is a time for gourmet feasting that will last through many months to follow. 

Traditionally, the opening of the crab season is preceded with a religious procession and a priestly blessing of the fleet. The boat decks are piled high with crab traps. The first day’s harvest is anxiously awaited as an indication of what the season will bring the crabbers as a reward for their hard work. 

A century ago, crabs were in plentiful supply from the Straits of Carquinez on the inland reaches of San Francisco Bay to the sandy shorelines off Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda. Over the years, clams, the natural food of the crab, disappeared from the Bay. The best crab catches were then made just outside the Golden Gate. Today, the crabbers must drop their crab pots far out near the Farallon Islands in 18 to 35 fathoms of ocean water.”

Continue reading the History of Dungeness crab at San Francisco’s Fishermans Wharf.