Makah Dungeness Crab Boil

"Crab have always been a part of the Native American diet, culture, and economy of Pacific Northwest and Alaskan Indigenous communities. This particular crab recipe is based on a tradition of the Makah, who live on the coast of what's now Washington State. I've spent time crabbing with the Makah at Neah Bay and I can wax poetic about the Dungeness crab, how their delicate meat tastes as fresh and oceanic as the wind off the water. As you can imagine, this recipe is one of my favorites in this book."

- Chef Freddie Bitsoie

This traditional Dungeness crab boil recipe will surely be a favorite with your kids. Whether they're into playing with crustaceans or making a spice bag, there's plenty of fun to go around the kitchen with this simple Makah crab boil.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

If you like this crab boil, try the crab cakes.

Jump to:

• New Native Kitchen
• Chocolate Chili
• Makah Dungeness Crab Boil
• Makah Crab Boil
• Free Makah Dungeness Crab Boil Recipe for Pre-Readers & Up
• Montessori Continent Boxes
• Makah Dungeness Crab Boil

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New Native Kitchen

This Makah crab boil recipe comes from New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian by Chef Freddie Bitsoie & James O. Fraioli.

Inside, Freddie shares about the Makah:

The Makah live in what's now northwest Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula. A society intrinsically connected with the sea, the Makah traditionally lived in longhouses: very cozy, single story rectangular buildings covered in shingles of bark. Ancestral longhouses feel very welcoming , and inside them, you can fall asleep listening to the sound of ocean waves. The name Makah means "generous ones," and was given by neighboring communities: in their own language, the Makah community is called Qwiqwidicciat.

Traditional Makah cuisine features the bountiful salmon and berries of the coast; they also once ate seals and gray whales, which could provide for the village for months. Seal hunters wore their hair in tight buns on top of their heads with burning torches protruding from their hair. This flame torch, dipped in cedar pitch, was a pre-cursor to battery-powered headlamps, and it gave them light to see when they hunted in sea caves.

- Chef Freddie Bitsoie

Try another recipe from New Native Kitchen. If you like this Makah crab boil, try three sisters bean stew, chocolate bison chili, bison cheeseburgers, bread pudding.

Learn more about allergies and your family.

Shop Native-sourced staples with Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace!

Makah Dungeness Crab Boil

Ingredients

• mustard seed
• celery seed
• dill seed
• coriander seed
• allspice
• cloves
• bay leaves
• salt
• lemon juice
• cayenne pepper
• Dungeness crab
• butter
• lemon wedges

Equipment

• cheesecloth - you'll want 2 pieces of cheesecloth, about 6 x 6 inches each
• kitchen string
• measuring spoons
• stock pot
• tongs
• butcher block
• small saucepan
• crab crackers (optional)

Make the Spice Bag

Wash your hands with soap and water. Place two layers of cheesecloth on a clean surface.

Use a measuring spoon to add the mustard seed, celery seed, dill seed, coriander seed, whole allspice, and whole cloves to the center of the cheesecloth. Add the bay leaves on top.

Cut a piece of baker's string. Gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and use the baker's string to secure the bag.

Boil Water

Add 8 quarts of water to a large stockpot. Use a measuring spoon to add the salt, lemon juice, and cayenne to the pot. Place the spice bag in the pot. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.

Place the Crabs in the Pot

Use tongs to add the crabs to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat.

Allow the pot to simmer, covered, until the shells turn bright red, about 18 minutes.

Melt the Butter

While the crabs are brightening up, place some butter in a saucepan heat over low heat. Once the butter is melted, turn off the burner.

Remove the Crabs

Once the crabs' shells are bright red, turn off the stove. Use tongs to remove the crabs from the pot. Let them sit for a few minutes until they are cool enough to handle.

Clean the Crabs and Serve

To clean the crabs, remove the top shell and discard it, along with the gills and mandibles. Rinse the crabs clean.

Serve with the melted butter and lemon wedges. For younger kids, you may want to remove the crab meat for them, and invite them to participate as able.

Free Makah Dungeness Crab Boil Recipe for Pre-Readers & Up