California Crab Boil
California Crab Boil
You can keep things simple and blanch fresh crab in salted water, or you can go in a different direction and make something really flavorful. The boil can be prepared a day in advance so you just have to cook the shellfish when you’re ready. Eat the crab and potatoes on their own or with Mother-Sauce Mayo on the side. What makes this a California crab boil, you ask? It’s meant to be eaten outdoors in the winter and washed down with an ice-cold California Chardonnay (I like Mount Eden Vineyards, close by in the Santa Cruz Mountains).
Ingrediënten
Serves 6 to 8
- 2 white onions
- 1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
- 1 750-ml bottle verjus (optional; just leave it out if you can’t find it)
- â…“ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 lemons sliced
- Âľ cup salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 6 quarts 24 cups water
- 4 to 8 whole Dungeness crabs about ½ crab per person, and then some, for the overachievers, rinsed well with cold water
- 1ÂĽ pounds baby potatoes
Instructies
This recipe requires an extra-large pot (I’m not messing around here, you need a big one).
- First, char the onions.
- This step is optional, but it adds a nice smoky flavor to the boil.
- Cut off the ends of the onions (you can leave the skin on), then slice each in half.
- Line a pan (cast iron, if you have it) with aluminum foil and place it on high heat.
- Lay the onions on the pan, cut-side down, and let them sit without nudging until the cut side turns black, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the onions’ outer skin.
- In an extra-large pot on high heat, combine the onions, wine, verjus, vinegar, coriander, fennel, garlic, lemons, salt, peppercorns, and the water and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Strain the stock into another large pot, discarding the solids.
- The resulting liquid is called a “crab court-bouillon,” or a flavored stock for poaching crab.
- Use immediately, or store the bouillon, covered, in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Just before serving, bring the strained stock to a boil on high heat.
- Once boiling, add the crabs and potatoes.
- Boil, uncovered, for 8 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool to room temperature with the potatoes and crab still in the pot.
- Drain.
- Line your table (ideally outdoors) with newspaper.
- Dump the crab and potatoes on the newspaper.
- Eat with your hands, leaving the shells on the newspapers to be neatly folded up and tossed when no crabmeat or potatoes remain.
