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By Root 749 0

in the roasting pan, or, if your pan is too nice for the grill, set the rack in a disposable aluminum pan. Pour in the brine. Put the pan directly over the heat, cover the grill if possible, and heat until the brine is steaming hot. Using tongs, place the crabs on the roasting rack; they should be well sedated from the chilling, but work quickly before any escape. Sprinkle with the seasoning, and then cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil (use grill mitts). Cover the grill and cook until the crabs turn bright orange, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and pick the meat from the shells (see Know-How, at right).

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KEEP IT SIMPLE:

Replace the shellfish seasoning with a purchased crab boil seasoning, such as Old Bay.

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KNOW-HOW: EATING BLUE CRABS

Eating crab is wonderfully messy. Set the crabs out on newspapers or scrap paper, so when you’re done, you can simply fold up the paper and toss the mess. To begin, unfold, twist off, and remove the flap, or apron, on the underside of the crab. Pull off the top shell and pull away the gills attached to the bottom shell. Pick the crabmeat from the body, discarding any bits of shell. Twist off the legs and claws, crack them with a small hammer or nutcracker, and suck or pick out the meat.

WHOLE DUNGENESS CRAB

Vine-Smoked Dungeness Crabs with Preserved Lemon Relish

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Here’s a technique used by grillers in the wine-growing regions of California: smoking shellfish over vine cuttings. The grape vines impart a gentle smoke, which perfectly matches the sweetness of the fish. If you don’t live near any vineyards or wineries, buy some grapevine chips from a gourmet store such as Kalamazoo Gourmet (www.kalamazoogourmet.com). We use Dungeness crabs, the Pacific species first harvested near the small fishing village of Dungeness in Washington state. They’re in season from December to August all along the West Coast and are widely available cooked, so that’s what we call for here. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh crabs, boil them first in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Grilling Dungeness crab in the shell makes for more flavor. We brush them with butter during grilling to help release fat-soluble flavor compounds from the shell.

INGREDIENTS:

A big handful of dried grapevine cuttings or grapevine chips, soaked in water for 1 hour

⅔ cup unsalted butter

⅓ cup olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 cooked Dungeness crabs (1½ to 2 pounds each), cleaned and cracked (see Know-How, below)

2 cups Preserved Lemon Relish

DIRECTIONS:

Light a grill for indirect medium-high heat, about 375°F, with smoke.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice and parsley. Keep warm. Drain the cuttings or chips and add them to the grill. When you see smoke, brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the cracked crabs on the grill, right-side up, away from the heat and brush all over with the butter mixture. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Baste again with the butter mixture, flip the crabs, cover, and cook until the crabs are heated through, another 8 to 10 minutes, brushing often with the butter mixture.

Remove to a platter and serve with the remaining butter mixture and the relish.

KNOW-HOW: CLEANING AND CRACKING DUNGENESS CRABS

Unfold, twist off, and remove the flap, or apron, on the underside of the crab. Pull off the top shell and pull away the spongy gills attached to the bottom shell. Crack off and discard the front mouth parts of the crab and then rinse the crab clean. Hold the crab upside down in both hands and crack in half along the center line.

KING CRAB LEGS

Grilled King Crab Legs with Ginger-Lime Butter

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

King crab legs come precooked, so a brief reheating is all they need. Steaming them makes the crab taste rather waterlogged, so we prefer to toss the legs over dry grill