Buying crab is one thing… but cooking it is another. Too chaotic. Too messy. Too much. This is where most people freeze up, and fair enough. We’re not exactly living in a world that prepares the average person to cook something that might clap back.
But cooking crab, like most seafood, is way simpler with less steps (and mess) than you might think. As our friend Chef Johnny Bridge says, “Making a penne pasta takes more steps than cooking a crab.” Bet, or whatever the kids say.
We met up with Chef Johnny at the False Creek Harbour Authority & Fishermen’s Wharf, where BC fishers sell crab right off the dock and Granville Island Market is just steps away. It’s the perfect one-stop shop for crab and everything you want to eat with crab.
Johnny walked us through the whole process, keeping it simple, humane, and entirely achievable at home. Follow along with the video here!
How to Cook BC Dungeness Crab, Step-by-Step
1. Get a big pot and a pair of long tongs.
This doesn’t have to be a massive tub or fancy ware. Just something deep enough to submerge your crab and tongs long enough to fetch it out when it’s done.
2. Fill with water + salt like the ocean.
This is your seasoning. Salty water = perfect meat. Think it’s too salty? Add more.
3. Humane dispatching.
A quick spike through the center of the crab with a chef’s knife is fast, respectful, standard practice.
4. Boil.
Drop the crab into rolling boiling water. For a 1.5–2 lb crab, boil for about 13 minutes.
5. Look for doneness.
The shell brightens into a gleaming red, fat globules form around the joints, and meat goes from clear → opaque white.
6. Clean it.
Pop the back shell off, remove the guts and lungs, and give it a quick rinse in the salty water to clear any excess internals off the meat.
7. Eat it now… or later.
Serve your hot crab clusters as-is with melted butter, or freeze for future feasts.
What’s next?
You did it! Your crab is cooked, now you just need to get the good stuff out.
Check out Part 3 of our How to Do Crab series, Shuck It! where Johnny shows us how to crack, pick, and wiggle every last bite free.
This project is supported by the BC Government’s Buy BC Partnership Program; delivered by MNP LLP with funding from the Government of British Columbia.