Dungeness crab, Cancer magister, gets it’s common name from the small town of Dungeness on the Washington coast where it’s first commercial harvesting took place almost one hundred years ago. It is found in eel grass and on muddy or sandy ocean bottoms from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to south of San Francisco. Oregon Dungeness crab fishery is one of the few state managed fisheries in the U.S. Only male crabs exceeding 6-1/4″ across the back can be harvested and all females are returned to the ocean. The annual season begins December first when the crabs are hard shelled and at their prime. We Oregonians take pride in the sustainability of this resource and make great effort to insure that this industry has a solid future.
In addition to digging razor clams when I was a child, my family took a small boat out into Nehalem Bay on the central coast each winter, let several crab pots over the side, and returned hours later to retrieve their catch. I have vivid memories of standing on a seat in the boat and hollering my head off at the crabs scuttling around on the boat floor. Although the crabs aren’t more than about 12 inches across they looked gigantic to a four year old. Check out The Amateur Gourmet for an excellent post on what’s involved in catching and preparing our fantastic local crab.
My grandmother served steaming hot bowls of cracked crab over which she poured a spicy, lemony sauce. Served with crusty french bread, the meal was heavenly. I have many recipes that use this amazingly delicate and delicious shellfish and you will probably see several of them as we go through the winter. One of my favorites is Dungeness Crab Sandwiches. Serve with a nice white wine and a little slaw and you have a meal fit for royalty.
- 2 English muffins, split
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon green onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon celery, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- 6 ounces Dungeness crab meat
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Toast and butter the English muffins. Combine mayo, cream cheese, green onion, celery, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Gently mix in the crab. Divide crab mixture among the toasted muffins. Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler until browned and bubbly.
When will dinner be served? Cathy these look so good I’m going to have to try them really soon. Beautiful photo and a great memory. Thanks for sharing.
Oh man, the sandwiches sound amazing. I love that you used English muffins.
Crab is one of my favorite seafood, and the season is here. So I’ll be making a lot of crab dishes. Your broiled Dungeness Crab sounds wonderfully delectable.
Wow! Does that ever look and sound yummy!
Sorry about the meme post. I think I clicked on “Save as Draft” rather than publish post.
Gotta run … my son is crying.
rosa
Thank you all for your comments. It’s so nice to share these special recipes with friends. I appreciate so very much your stopping by. Please come back again.
Thank you for stopping by my blog, and what a treat it’s been for me to come visiting here! I so enjoy it when posters share their memories, and it was delightful to read about your clamming and crabbing memories. I also love dungeness crab, and your sandwich sounds dreamy with both mayo and cream cheese! YUM!
Cathy, warm crab sandwiches are one of my very favorite ways of serving Dungeness crab.
Next time I’m going to try them your way, with the addition of cream cheese and celery; the combination sounds delightful!
I’m enjoying your blog very much.
Hi Paula and Mari – Welcome and thank you. I’m happy you enjoyed your visit. Dungeness crab is one of my favorite foods.
Oh I love dungeness crab? Oh how I miss Oregon and the smell of the coast!
Wow, what an interesting post! I can just imagine being four with crabs scuttling about. Eeeee!
I didn’t know about the local connection with crabs. Dungeness crabs are so much easier to eat and enjoy than the little crabs we used to feast on in Virginia. It’s good to know they are a local delicacy. And your sandwich sounds fabulous!
These look delicious! When can I come over for dinner and try them? =o)
Hi Erin – You can come over for dinner any time. And bring my adorable little grandchildren with you.
OH my goodness this looks amazing!!! Our them this week for Sharing Sundays is SANDWICHES!! We would love for you to come by and link this recipe up and any other sandwich recipes you have including any sweet/dessert sandwiches too!!
http://everydaysisters.blogspot.com
Ellen
Ellen recently posted..Everyday Sister’s Sharing Sundays #7