Preparing Fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab

Everyone knows seafood taste best when they’re cooked fresh. However, simply being fresh isn’t enough to warrant for a great meal if you don’t know how to properly prepare it. So, if you get your hands on an Oregon crab, how can you shell and cook it? How can you ensure you’re preparing the Dungeness crab well enough?

First, you need to know facts about the Dungeness crab. They’re a common type of crab that happens to be good for your health. They have low fat content yet pack a lot of protein, and they also contain helpful minerals, such as selenium and zinc.

Second, you need to understand how they taste like. It tastes similar to other crab species, where the general flavors that come out of it are mild yet sweet, nutty, and salty. It features tender meat as well, with the exception of its legs having a firmer texture.

You can shell and cook the Oregon Dungeness crab by boiling or steaming it, making crab cakes and dips, out of it, or adding it in pastas, soups, and salads.

How to Cook Fresh Crab

Preparing a fresh Oregon Dungeness crab is simple. For the initial phase, all you need is a pot, some salt, and water. Mix the salt and water in your pot, and wait for it to boil. As soon as it boils, add the live crab inside. Then, boil it for some minutes. The length of the crab’s boiling time will depend on its weight. For every pound, 8 minutes of heating time needs to be allotted in cooking the crab.

A surefire way to know your seafood is done will be to look at its color. Once its shell turns bright orange, that means it’s been heated well enough and ready to be eaten.

How to Clean Boiled Crab

Once the Dungeness crab is done with the first phase of cooking, run it under cool water or soak it in cold water. You can immediately crack the crab’s shell afterwards, or place it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it. If you opt for the latter, you can choose to serve it chilled or heat it up by steaming it before serving it.

If you’re serving it without shelling it first, be sure to remove the Dungeness crab’s innards and gills first. To do this, start by removing the crab’s back. Separate the crab’s back by holding onto its base with one hand and then pulling off its shell by prying it with your thumb. Note that you need to position your thumb on the middle of the shell.

Once you see the gills, remove them using your thumb or something firm enough. Then, place the crab under running water to remove its innards.

How to Shell Dungeness Crab

Cracking Dungeness crab is easy. First, twist off its legs on the part connected to the body. You’ll notice that it has pincers, and of course, they’re not edible, so simply remove those. Then, snap the crab’s large claws into two, and crack it. You can use a mallet or a nut cracker, or be creative and invent your own shell-breaker.

When you’re done with the big claws, turn your attention to the next largest piece of the crab. Those will be the leg joints. You have three choices for this part. First, you can use a mallet or a nutcracker to access the juicy meat inside this part. Second, you can decide on sucking the meat out. Third, you can pluck the meat using a fork.

Shelling the other leg parts of the Dungeness crab requires you to repeat the same process mentioned above. Likewise, you can just snap the smaller leg joints with your fingers and then suck or pick the meat out.

Lastly, breaking the crab’s body needs you to firmly grip its body with both hands and then snap it. You can then choose between repeatedly striking the crab with a mallet or something firm enough to get access to its meat, or plucking the meat with your fingers.

How to Store Cooked Crab

If you didn’t eat your freshly-prepared crab as your cracked it, you’ll need to know how to properly store it for later consumption. The best place to store cooked crab is in the refrigerator. However, make sure the crab is thoroughly covered. Likewise, remember to store it in a good container if you plan on keeping it for a few days, and ensure that no air enters the container by wrapping it in a plastic wrap or some foil.

How to Catch Oregon Crabs

There are plenty of ways to catch Dungeness crabs, but the most common instrument used are crab pots. If you want to learn more or have people guide you into catching Oregon crabs, you can contact a charter like the Newport, Oregon Fishing Charter for support.

Alternatively, you can check out some of our pages for helpful videos and articles. You can also contact us if you’re unsure about something, or figure out more information about us.

Our goal is to make fishing fun for everyone. That includes giving you tips on preparing Oregon Dungeness crab, catching different fish species, and connecting you with the best guided fishing services in the Pacific Northwest.