At the Crab Feast

Name: At the Crab Feast
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: ½ cup prepared southern-style crab boil spice mixture; ¾ cup pure olive oil; 1 teaspoon dried basil (do not use fresh); 6 Dungeness crabs, 2 to 3 pounds each, well washed in salted water; 6 Dungeness crabs, 2 to 3 pounds each, well washed in salted water; 1 medium-size white onion, finely chopped; ¼ cup red wine vinegar; Pepper from the mill; Salt

Preparation info

FFR—
6
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The New Making of a Cook

By Madeleine Kamman

Published 1997

About

From January to the middle of March, there are in the Napa Valley three important crab feasts, two in St. Helena and one in Calistoga. This is one of the ways the crab arrives on the table. Use your favorite brand of crab boil.

Ingredients

½ cup prepared southern-style crab boil spice mixture
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1

Europe
Americas
France
United States
Calistoga
St. Helena
Fish course
Gluten-free
Pescatarian
March
February
January

Method

In a very large pot, bring enough water to cover the crabs to a furious boil. Add the crab boil and reduce the heat to a simmer while you prepare the dressing.

Place the vinegar, onion, salt and pepper to taste, basil, and oil in a blender and process until liquefied and homogeneous; keep in the blender until ready to serve.

Add the crabs one by one to the water bath and bring b