By Seared Lightly

(OMED: "Seared Lightly" is Fred Delkin, Oregon Magazine's Editor.  At one time, he was an interest holder and full time manager of the Crawfish House referred to in this piece.)

Dungeness Crab season is in full swing hereabouts and we’d like to share a  classic recipe with our readers. It was 1893 when Jake’s Crawfish House 
began its history as Portland, Oregon’s most famous restaurant.  Sometime
early in the 20th century, a Jake’s chef created a unique method of serving 
Dungeness Crab in the shell. You cook the sauce, not the crab, and pour the
sauce over the pre-boiled shellfish in serving bowls. The crab should be 
quartered in the shell...serve one or two sections to each diner. 

This dish demands to be served with a full-flavored microbrew and toasted 
garlic bread, with tossed salad optional. When dining, this is hands-on and 
messy. Serve with bibs and a bowl for discarded shells. Crack the shells 
before saucing. Sop up the sauce with the garlic toast while savoring the 
shellfish. The liquid in this recipe is adequate for two crab, or four servings.
 
 

Mix Curry Powder, Cumin, Cayenne, Mustard and Chili Powder with  enough water to form a paste, stir in with all other ingredients into a quart of
water in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in Bouillon Cubes, strain
the broth. Now place Crab sections fin a really big bowl, pour hot broth 
over them and let steep for 6-9 minutes. Transfer Crab sections from broth to serving bowls. Heat broth to steaming, pour over each serving and get at it!

From the pot... Oyster lovers should honor a pair of University of Southern 
California biologists who titled the bivalve "soy bean of the sea" after a 
growth gene study. An incredible growth rate makes the oyster an ideal aquaculture subject, according to these gurus, and they advocate a
"Blue Revolution" to exploit the oyster crop, akin to the "Green Revolution" ascribed to corn’s potential in the 1920's as an agricultural commodity. 

© 2007 Oregon Magazine