Crabs are in season here in the Bay Area, and I can't get enough of them. I can easily eat an entire crab myself, and since I'm the only one in my family who likes them, I sometimes do. Violet, my little gourmet, finds it hard to appreciate their delicate flavor ("They taste like air.") You'd think that, having grown up in Baltimore, Mike would be a crab lover, but apparently he only likes them in crab cake form.
While crab cakes, quiches and salads are certainly delicious, I find a freshly cracked and cleaned crab, simply dressed, infinitely more appealing. I get mine cleaned and cracked at the Whole Foods fish counter, where an entire Dungeness crab will currently set you back $8. One crab will serve one person as a main course, two as an appetizer. Any herbs you like will set the crab off nicely, I just used what I had on hand.
Cracked Crab with Herbs and Lemon
Number of Ingredients: 5
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: None, but it does need to chill, covered, for a good 30 minutes.
1 whole crab, cracked and cleaned
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (look for the kind with a "light taste")
A palm full of each of freshly chopped cilantro, oregano and thyme
The zest of one lemon, and the juice of 1/2
Toss the crab with the olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle the fresh herbs, and zest the lemon right into the bowl. Toss again to combine. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
