Chile and Garlic Dungeness Crab with Garlic Noodles

Different regions of the United States have specific holiday traditions, and a large part of those holiday traditions involves food and cooking. However, there are many dishes present at certain Thanksgiving and holiday dinners that families from other regions haven’t even heard of. For example, in coastal regions, seafood is much more common to see at Thanksgiving dinner than say, in Iowa or Nebraska. One of the Thanksgiving seafood staples are Dungeness Crabs. The Dungeness Crab season opens at the beginning of November along the Pacific Northwest, so there are incredibly close ties to the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoying Dungeness crab. Participate in part of a Northwest thanksgiving dinner this year by trying a Dungeness Crab recipe. 

How to make Chile and Garlic Dungeness Crab with Garlic Noodles

Ingredients  

Crab Ingredients 

• 16 Tbsp. of unsalted butter  
• ½ cups virgin olive oil  
• 15 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped 
• 1 small onion, finely chopped 
• 1 tbsp. crushed red chili flakes 
• ½ tsp. black pepper 
• ½ tsp. kosher salt 
• 2 1½–2 lb. Dungeness crabs, steamed, cleaned, legs removed and cracked, bodies halved.  
• ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley 

Noodle Ingredients  

• 20-ounces of fresh ramen noodles (or substitute dried spaghetti noodles)
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter 
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce 
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce 
• 1 tsp. sugar 
• ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 
• ¼ cup of chives or scallions, thinly sliced 

Directions

How to Steam and Crack Dungeness Crabs

1. If you are working with frozen crabs, be sure to defrost the crabs first and rinse to remove dirt or debris.
2. Fill a large pot with 2in of water. Feel free to add a tablespoon of salt and/or a few lemon slices for extra flavor.
3. Add a steaming rack, basket or colander to the pot. Make sure it isn’t touching the water.
4. Bring the water to a boil and once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Add the crabs to the steaming rack and be sure to place them evenly or steam one at a time, to ensure they steam evenly.
6. Cover with a lid and steam for about 12-20 minutes depending on the number of crabs. Their shells will turn a bright orange when done, and the meat will be opaque.
7. When fully cooked, use tongs to remove crabs from steaming rack and let cool.
8. Once the crabs are cool to the touch, use your hands to twist off the crab legs and crack them with a crab cracker.
9. Place cooked and cracked crab legs in a bowl.
10. Remove crab’s top shell and discard all inedible gills and internal organs.
11. Cut crab bodies in half and place in bowl with legs and set aside.

Recipe Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. 
2. In a large, ovenproof skillet, Dutch oven, or roasting pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
3. When melted, stir in the garlic, shallots, onion, chili flakes, and black pepper then transfer to the oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, about 7–8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and stir in the crab pieces, making sure to thoroughly coat the shells. Return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic butter begins to caramelize on the shells, about 15 minutes. 
4. Make Noodles: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook for about 4 min, until al dente. Drain the noodles, reserving half a cup of the cooking liquid.  
5. To a large skillet over medium heat, add the reserved noodle-cooking liquid and the garlic. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter to emulsify, then stir in the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the reserved noodles, tossing to coat in the garlic sauce. Season to taste with black pepper and transfer to a large bowl and garnish with sliced chives or scallions. 
6. Remove the crab from the oven and add half of the parsley to the pan, tossing to coat. Using tongs, transfer the crab to a large platter and drizzle the butter mixture over the top; sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve hot, alongside the garlic noodles.