steamed crab
Hot shellfish dish
Steamed crab is crab cooked by steam rather than boiling, preserving the meat's delicate texture and flavor.
The dish is particularly associated with the Chesapeake Bay region, where blue crabs are steamed with Old Bay seasoning and served on newspaper-covered tables: We ordered a dozen steamed crabs and a pitcher of beer.
The communal, hands-on eating—cracking shells with mallets—is part of the experience.
- Old BayRegional seafood spice blend
- malletSoft-headed striking tool
- shellHard outer covering
- clawsAnimal gripping nails
- butterSolid fat from cream
melted butter · seafood · Chesapeake · all you can eat · feast · picked · meat · seasoning · newspaper · brown paper · wooden table · boil · legs · succulent · briny · cracking · messy · bibs
- Chinese foodsoup dumplings, kung pao chicken, chow mein, baozi, orange chicken
- Asian Seafoodfish curry, prawns, fish balls, fish cakes, prawn curry
- Seafood Dishesfish and chips, fried shrimp, shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, lobster bisque
- steamed foodsbao, baozi, shumai, siu mai, momo
- Chesapeake seafoodOld Bay, Old Bay seasoning, softshell, jimmies, bushel