On the news last week, the long awaited announcement on the Pacific Coast finally came – “a bountiful crab season is open” – woohoo!! Then I received my Chowhound email with a list of Go-To Spots for Dungeness Crab, that included a great list of Bay Area restaurants sporting crab on the menu – from Vietnamese to the classic crab steamed with butter to Chinese Salt & Pepper Crab served at the R & G Lounge in Chinatown. I’ve had the Salt & Pepper Crab on my “to eat” list since I saw it on Anthony Bourdain’s trip to San Francisco on No Reservations a couple of years back.

Below is the family recipe from our cookbook for crab dressing, to serve with freshly steamed crab. I’m getting ready to whip up a batch and get crackin’!

Crab and Dressing for a Crowd

Serves 15 to 20 as an appetizer

Our Uncle Richie would bring ice chests full of fresh crab to Christmas Eve gatherings and would be busy cracking them from lunch until dinner. This is the dressing he served with the crab. The recipe makes about 3 cups of dressing.

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
• 10 to 12 large, cleaned, cooked, and cracked Dungeness crab

In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, and blend well. Serve the dressing in small bowls along with the crab.

“Is this enough crab??”

– Niece Nancy the Crab Nosher