Those living in Washington, D.C., have likely heard of the fame of Maryland blue crab. However, many people eat it at seaside restaurants. This article will introduce how to cook Maryland blue crab at home, just like in a seaside restaurant.

Special thanks to my friends Ben Teng and Qiu Shi, who taught me most of the skills mentioned in this article.

How to buy

Students living near Washington, D.C. are very fortunate, as the crabs here are large and cheap every fall, almost like they were picked up from the ground. There's a seafood market right at the border of VA and DC, located at Captain White’s Seafood (1100 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024). Here's a map to show you how close it is.

Here you can find not only crabs, but also prawns, various shellfish and fish, as well as some strange creatures that you don't recognize. They are all freshly caught from the sea. The crabs here are not sold by weight, but directly in buckets.

Basically, you buy a bucket like this. When you buy it, you tell them how many dollars you need. However, because it's very cheap, people usually buy too much and can't finish it all. If you don't want to eat just crab, you can also buy some shrimp and squid, which are not difficult to cook. I've forgotten the exact price, but if you only buy crab, it won't cost more than per person.

If you want to get the best crabs, try to get up early to buy them, as this will be the first batch to return from the sea. Most supermarkets and restaurants get their stock around this time. However, it seems another batch will return in the evening, so going at night is also fine. Overall, you can go anytime; the quantity is plentiful and you can eat as much as you want. But you absolutely must go in September or October, as the crabs are much smaller at other times.

It is important to note that:

1. Because of this violent assembly method, you need to get home from the market as quickly as possible, because the crabs underneath can easily suffocate. Generally, it's fine if you get home within an hour. Just don't expose them to the sun.
2. Crabs have a very strong smell, so I strongly advise against using a luxury car to transport them. The smell will linger for a long time after you bring them back.
3. The crabs you buy here are very aggressive; don't try to tease them.
4. He'll ask you how much of the male or female based on your personal preference.

Cooking utensils

This is the most important part, but it's not difficult. Here's the image:

This is a professional tool, so it's recommended to do it outdoors because it's actually for steaming crabs, so it will leave a lot of lingering smells inside. You can buy it on Amazon (buy it early, as it's sold out every year during crab season):

Cooking methods

If you've already done the above, this is extremely simple (it seems there wasn't much difficulty above either). First, let's talk about the items you'll need:

1. The pot on top
2. 2 beers
3. Old Bay (as pictured, available at Costco)
4. clip
5. A wooden hammer (for people with bad teeth to use to crack crabs, but it turns out that biting is actually better).

This pot has two layers; we'll call the bottom one A and the top one B.

Add water and beer to layer A, the amount is up to you, generally half a pot of water and two bottles of beer. Then put it on the stove to cook, and place layer B on top of layer A. The next step is slightly dangerous: carefully place the crabs one by one into layer B, sprinkling Old Bay beer between each layer. Be sure to sprinkle it vigorously, firstly to ensure the flavor penetrates, and secondly to suffocate the crabs and prevent them from jumping around (these crabs are very vigorous). When you have about two-thirds of the crabs in, cover the pot and wait, about 20-30 minutes (depending on the heat).

Basically, it's one pot of crabs and one tree (a type of crab), you can just eat it directly. For those who don't have a good idea, here's a picture. After that, it's basically just... enjoy it slowly.

Finally, here's a picture of the little ones who couldn't get any even though they had to wait in line.