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Blue CrabsMedium
Steamed Blue Crabs — Old Bay & Beer Feast
Prep: 15 minCook: 25 minServes: 4-6
There's no better summer gathering than a pile of steamed blue crabs dumped on a newspaper-covered table. From the Chesapeake to the Gulf Coast, this is how you do it — crabs steamed with beer and Old Bay, served with melted butter and cold beer. It's messy, it's fun, and every sweet lump of meat is worth the work. Crabbing for them yourself makes it taste even better.
Fill a large crab pot or stockpot (minimum 20 quart) with beer, vinegar, salt, and 2 cups water. Add garlic and squeezed lemon halves. Bring to a rolling boil.
Set a steaming rack inside the pot, above the liquid line.
Spread a layer of crabs on the rack. Sprinkle generously with Old Bay. Repeat layers: crabs, Old Bay, crabs, Old Bay — packing them in.
Cover tightly and steam 20-25 minutes. Crabs are done when they turn bright red and the aroma fills the kitchen.
Remove crabs with tongs to a newspaper-covered table (or sheet pans). Sprinkle with more Old Bay while hot.
Serve immediately with melted butter, lemon wedges, and extra seasoning. Provide mallets, crackers, and plenty of napkins.
Demonstrate the shucking technique: flip the crab, lift the apron, open the top shell, remove the lungs, break in half, pick the meat from the chambers.
Always cook crabs alive — dead crabs spoil fast and can make you sick. Rinse them well before steaming to remove mud. A bushel basket is the traditional steamer but any large pot with a steamer insert works. Don't skimp on Old Bay—a third of the seasoning should end up in the pot, a third between layers, and a third on top. The beer-vinegar mix doesn't make the crab taste like beer, it keeps the meat sweet and moist. Blue crab season runs April through October depending on your region.
