This crab comes to us from one of our co-op's fishing families, the Friskes--Andrew, Becky Gracelynn, Emery, Jake, and Rylan--who responsibly fish using pots on the F/V Allure. The Allure has a freezer that gets down to -40 F to blast freeze the crab on the boat immediately after catch. In this sense, this Dungeness Crab is a little different from other crab you've had. Rather than being brought on board and then cooked at an on-shore processing plant once the boat returns to town, these crab are flash frozen on the boat, locking in their freshness right there. As we write, this is the only Dungeness Crab boat producing crab this way. Another difference between this crab and other west coast Dungeness crab is that it is larger. Alaska regulations require crab to be at least 6.5" wide compared to 5.75-6" in other west coast fisheries. The wider crab rule in Alaska means bigger and higher quality crab but also helps keep our crab fisheries sustainable. The cold water of southeast Alaska is just about as cold as a crustacean can tolerate. This cold water slows down metabolism keeping the meat more firm, dense and flavorful. As noted above, this crab is a little different from other crab you've had before. In addition to being frozen on the boat, this crab doesn't come to you in sections or clusters. It comes whole with carapace, guts and gills removed. Coming whole rather than in sections means that you get a little bit more meat on each crab, it also preserves better, giving you a longer shelf life in your freezer should you need it. Another little detail that we like is that the bait used to catch this crab is the byproduct from when we cut our halibut and black cod portions for you--everything comes full circle! Watch the YouTube channel of our co-op fisherman's son here to to get a sense of what it's like out on the water in southeast Alaska. Here's how to prepare this Dungeness crab: We recommend cooking them from frozen for maximum convenience. Boil for around 13 to 15 minutes. The glaze used to protect the crab during the freezing process is saltwater. You will not even need to salt your pot of water to cook up this crab. After steaming the crab crack them open. Dip the crab meat in a garlic butter sauce or serve on their own as an appetizer. Each box contains 4.5 pounds of Dungeness Crab. Each crab will weigh 1.3 to 1.5 pounds (with carapace, guts and gills removed). Each 4.5-pound box feeds 4-6 people. **Again...take note that this Dungeness crab comes RAW not ready to eat and must be fully cooked before consumption. COOKING INSTRUCTIONS (FROM FROZEN) Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil Add crab directly from frozen Begin timing once boiling resumes Cook to an internal temperature of at least 185°F Boil for approximately 15 minutes. *If cooking 10 or more crab, add 3 minutes SAFE HANDLING Keep frozen until use Do not consume raw or undercooked Refrigerate leftovers promptly *Fishing photos courtesy of the Friske family. *Crab photo courtesy of Alaska Seafood.
