When Dungeness Crab season arrives in Sonoma County, we have crab once a week. Really. Because we love it that much. We did a crab boil for a neighbor’s birthday this year. Crab for twelve? Yes, please!

Table of Contents

Make the broth

Start by preparing the broth. Mix the following in a big pot:

Water
Better Than Bouillon
Beer
Cajun seasoning
Old Bay seasoning

Bring the broth to a boil, and let it cook for about 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

Prepare the Vegetables

Wash the potatoes and start them in the boil.
Shuck the corn, break the cobs in half, and add to the boil.
Add the sausage if you are including it.
Scoop everything out with a slotted spoon when it’s all done and put it all in a big bowl.

Wash the potatoes and shuck the corn. Break the corn cobs in half with your hands. Add the potatoes to the broth and let them boil for about 20 minutes. Then, add the corn, and let it boil about 10 more minutes. If you are making Andouille sausage, add it at the same time as the corn.

Check the potatoes to make sure they are cooked. When they are done, remove the potatoes and corn from the broth with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl.

Make the Spicy Garlic Butter

Mince garlic
Melt butter and add the garlic
Add spices
Pour over the cooked veggies

Peel and mince most of a bulb of garlic, about 12-16 cloves. Melt a cube of butter on the stove in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally. Add the spices and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat until the vegetables are cooked.

Once the vegetables (and sausage if using) are done, put them all into a big bowl and pour the spicy garlic butter over the top. Stir it all up, so everything is well coated. Cover the bowl to foil to keep it warm.

Place the vegetables on the serving tray when you are ready to serve. Sprinkle minced Italian parsley on top.

Make the Lemon Garlic Butter

Put the rest of the butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt it in the microwave. You can also dirty another saucepan and melt it on the stove. I use one cube of butter for every two people. Yes, lots of butter!

Add one clove of garlic, pressed, for each cube of butter. Cook it by microwaving the butter for about 30 more seconds.

Then, add the lemon juice. I use one lemon per cube of butter.

Put the lemon garlic butter into small ramekins or butter warmers if you have them.

Heat the crab

If you have never cleaned your own crab before, it is messy, but easy! There are lots of YouTube videos to teach you how.

Remove the main shell
Remove the gills and icky stuff
Break the crab in half and rinse

Rinse the crab once it’s clean to remove all the icky stuff. Then, drop the crab into the boil and let it warm up for about 5 minutes.

Once it’s warmed through, remove it from the pot with tongs and place on a serving tray or in a large bowl.

Serve the meal

If you want to serve in a traditional boil style, place the crab, vegetables, and sausage on large trays and put them out on the table. Or, spread it all out on a plastic tablecloth. Or, put everything into individual serving bowls.

You will need additional bowls to hold the crab shells. I put out one bowl for every two to three people.

Don’t forget to put out crab crackers (or nutcrackers if you have them)!

Dungeness Crab Boil

A yummy crab boil during crab season? Grab some fresh crab and make a boil for your family!

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Course Main Course

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Broth

8 cups water
2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon Lobster Vegetable works, too
1 bottle beer Dark beer, or an IPA
4 Tbsp Cajun seasoning Creole seasoning works, too, but also add a dash of cayenne pepper.
4 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

Boil

6 whole Dungeness crab
1 1/2 lb small potatoes
6 ears corn
2 pkg andouille sausage optional

Spicy Butter

1 bulb garlic, divided (1 clove separated from rest)
1 cube butter
2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
3 Tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Butter Dipping Sauce

1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
3 cubes butter, melted
3 lemons, juiced

Instructions

Make the boiling broth.

Put the water, Better Than Bouillon, beer, 4 Tablespoons each cajun seasoning, and Old Bay seasoning in a very large pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let simmer while you prepare the vegetables.

Cook the vegetables.

Add the potatoes to the pot and boil for about 20 minutes.
Shuck the corn, break the cobs in half, and add them to the pot with the potatoes for about 10 more minutes.
Cut the sausages in half. Add the andouille sausage to the pot at the same time as the corn, if desired.

Make the spicy butter for the vegetables.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt one cube butter in a saucepan.
Peel and large mince the entire bulb of garlic (about 12-16 cloves). Reserve about one clove, and add the rest to the butter.
Add 2 Tablespoons each cajun seasoning and Old Bay to the butter.
Cook the butter on low heat until the garlic is soft, about 10 minutes.
Mince the Italian parsley and add to the butter just before serving.

Make the lemon garlic butter for dipping.

Put the other three cubes of butter into another saucepan or a large glass measuring cup that is microwave safe.
Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave.
Crush the last clove of garlic using a garlic press into the melted butter. Continue cooking until the garlic is soft, or microwave for about 20 more seconds.
Add the juice of three lemons to the garlic butter and stir.

Remove the vegetables.

Scoop the potatoes, corn, and sausage out of the broth into a large bowl.
Pour the spicy butter over them and stir until they are well coated.

Clean and warm the crab.

Clean the crab and add it to broth to warm.

Serve!

Put the vegetables and crab onto a big serving platter or baking sheet and serve.
Put the lemon garlic butter into small dishes (or butter warmers if you have them) to dip the crab in.
Don't forget to put out lots of napkins! This one is messy!

Keyword crab, dinner, seafood