Indonesian curried crab simmers cracked whole crab in a rich coconut curry built on a fresh-ground paste of galangal, lemongrass, chili and candlenuts, balanced with sour tamarind. Fragrant, fiery, gloriously messy.
New Orleans seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, hard-shell crab, and shucked oysters in a roux-thickened broth with okra and the holy trinity. Served over rice, Cajun style.
If you're having guests over, then try serving this succulent seafood dish that will have everyone giving compliments to the chef.
Maryland crab soup with live blue crabs, beef stew meat, bacon, corn, tomatoes, and Old Bay. Slow-simmered Chesapeake Bay classic, sweet corn version.
Chinese whole crab wok-fried with fresh ginger, scallions, and red pepper in a glossy sherry-soy sauce thickened with cornstarch. Messy, hands-on, and absolutely worth it.
Mahalia Jackson's okra gumbo, a soulful Louisiana feast of crab, shrimp, beef, ham, sausage, and chicken in a tomato-okra base, built on a from-scratch shrimp-shell broth. Big-batch comfort, ladled over rice.