Spicy steamed crabs are dressed for an elegant dinner under the trees

Now that I can find live crabs-- blues from the Chesapeake, Dungeness crabs from the Pacific Northwest, Jonahs (also called rock crabs) from New England and the mid-Atlantic coast-- in the tank at my local supermarket, my nutcrackers and lobster picks are getting a lot of use. My guests love taking these sweet and pungent crabs into their own hands.

Published September 1997