CRAB AND LOBSTER BOIL RECIPES

Steps:

• In a very large outdoor boiler/fryer or in a very large pot heat first 9 ingredients. Using half the water and adding as you need it so food is completely submerged with an extra 2-4 inches to cover.
• When it comes to a boil lower heat to medium high and add sausages cook 3 minutes add potatoes cook for 8 minutes add corn and Dungeness crabs cook for 4 minutes and follow with rest of the crabs cooking for 7 minutes. There should be enough water so that the crab is completely submerged.
• Strain into a large pot or bowl set aside and cover.
• If needed add more beer or water into the cooking liquid.
• Add lobster into pot and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add clams for 1 minute add shrimp for 3-4 minutes, toss.
• Dump and Serve on table covered with brown paper with melted butter, lemon, salt, and cocktail sauce.
• Open a lobster-- To open a boiled or steamed lobster.
• Break off large claws; separate tail from body; take body from shell, leaving "lady" or stomach on shell.
• Put aside green fat and coral; remove small claws; remove woolly gills from body, break later through middle and pick out meat joints.
• Cut with very sharp scissors through length of underside of tail, draw meat from shell,yum.
• Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord.
• Break edge of large claws and remove meat.
• Enjoy!
• For the Crab--.
• Twist off the legs and claws, take the mallet, and have fun gigging out the meat with forks or picks.
• Pry off the crabs "apron," the small flap on the underside, and discard it.
• Next, with the crab upside down, press down on one side of the top shell and pull up on the center and leg sections with the other hand until they come apart, discard top shell. Also, discard the intestine, which runs down the center of the back.
• Remove the gills (NOT EDIBLE) from each side and discard.
• The greenish yellow "mustard." Of course, it's not really mustard (it is the crustacean's equivalent of a liver). Many do eat it, but probably as many just toss it.
• The "crab butter" (the yellow, mushy stuff in the cavity. Is consider a delicacy and there are recipes that call for them. So, set them aside if you like. If not discard.
• Snap crab body in half.
• The edges where the two halves have broken open are where you'll find the biggest chunks of crabmeat. Pull it out with your fingers. As you dig deeper into the body closer to the leg openings, a knife or pick comes in handy. There are smaller cavities here, which should not be overlooked.
• To Crack claws either use a mallet or a nutcracker. A mallet is fairly self-explanatory but look out for flying bits of shell and juice.
• Before you roll up the mess in the paper, carefully check that no utensils or, even worse, a stray uneaten claw gets thrown away by accident.
• Be sure to put the garbage bags in tightly sealed cans to keep animals out. Even if you wash your hands thoroughly with soap the smell of crabs and Old Bay may linger for a day. Rubbing lemon juice mixed with baking soda on your hands will remove this odor.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to a moderately hot temperature, about 400°F; if using coals, wait until they turn white-hot. 2. If desired, melt the butter in a large stockpot set over the grill or over moderate heat on a stove. Add the onion, crushed garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, sautéing until softened, 4-5 minutes. 3. Add the Old Bay seasoning and thyme leaves; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a boil over high heat. 4. Once boiling, reduce to a steady simmer and stir in the sausage and potatoes; return to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender to the tip of a knife, 10-15 minutes. 5. Add the corn to the water and return to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes and then remove from the stockpot and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside until needed. 6. Return the seafood boil to a simmer and stir in the crabs and lobster. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. 7. In the meantime, brush the corn with oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Place the corn on the grill and cook, turning a few times, until lightly charred all over, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the grill. 8. When the crab and lobster are ready, stir in the shrimp and clams. Cover and cook until the shrimp are opaque and the clams have opened, 4-5 minutes. 9. Add the parsley, lemon juice, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste to the seafood boil. Serve straight from the pot with grilled corn on the side and seafood boil sauce on the side. (See Tips for a seafood boil sauce.)