Ingredients:

  • 8 liters Water
  • 120g Sea salt
  • 3 large Lemons, halved
  • 2 large White onions, quartered
  • 1 head of Garlic, sliced crosswise
  • 150g Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tbsp Smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp Cayenne pepper
  • 4 Dried bay leaves
  • 2.5 kg Fresh crab (Blue Crab or Snow Crab clusters)

Instructions:

  1. Fill a 12-16 quart stockpot with water. Add sea salt, quartered onions, sliced garlic head, bay leaves, and halved lemons (squeezing juice in first). Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
  2. Whisk in the Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika. Allow the aromatic base to boil vigorously for 5–8 minutes to saturate the water with flavor.
  3. Carefully submerge the crab into the boiling liquid using tongs. For fresh raw crab, boil for 10–12 minutes. For pre-cooked/frozen clusters, boil for 5–7 minutes until heated through.
  4. Turn off the heat and let the crab soak in the hot liquid for an additional 5 minutes to allow the meat to absorb the aromatics through osmosis.
  5. Drain using a large colander and serve immediately with a final spritz of fresh lemon.