It’s soft shell crab season in many parts of the US right now and if you haven’t taken advantage of that yet, I strongly recommend doing so!
Sweet, delicate crab meat is so delicious. It’s also an excellent source of nutrients, protein and those important Omega 3s. Crab is also a low risk seafood for mercury — great news!
Now back to the crab boil.
Your family is going to love you for fixing a crab boil for dinner. Involve the children by asking them to lay down a tablecloth of newspapers and to put down a stack of extra napkins.
The kids can also help you with the prep for this meal, no matter what their ages.
Here’s what you need for your basic crab boil:
- A large pot (you may need two pots depending on how many people you’re feeding)
- New potatoes
- 2 to 3 live crabs per person
- 1/2 pound of smoked sausage per person
- An ear of organic corn per person (halve them)
- Lots of butter
- Sea salt
- Tools for getting the meat out of the crab shells
- Cold white wine and/or beer
There’s one item missing from that list and that’s your crab seasoning. I usually just throw in my family’s favorite spices to the pot and I urge you to do the same. If you need some inspiration, try a combination of:
- cayenne pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- paprika
- black pepper
The method
Cut your potatoes in slices about a half inch thick and place them in your pot. Add water to cover the potatoes by an inch or so. Add your seasoning and a few good pinches of sea salt. Here’s where the kids can be helping. Let them toss in the corn, sausages and crabs to the pot, cover the pot and bring the whole works to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce your heat to medium high and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or so, or until the crabs are cooked.
When it’s done, use the cover of the pot to help you pour the water out of the pot. Then dump everything else in the center of the table, pour yourself a cold glass of wine, and dig in! Doesn’t that sound like fun?
How do you do a crab boil? Let us know on our Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/savingdinner
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