Usually, I roast a prime rib for Christmas, but with the great start of the crab season this year, I’ve decided to serve fresh Dungeness crab with Caesar salad. I’m getting really excited, as I haven’t eaten crab since last year.

As a child, I spent many summers boating in the San Juan Islands with my family. Each morning, we launched our dinghy into the still, sunlit waters and set out our crab pot. After baiting the round wire trap with cans of cat food poked full of holes, bits of bacon or leftover chicken, we lowered it to the sea floor, tagged it with a colorful buoy and left it until just before dinner.

Often the crab pot often held as many as six large Dungeness crab.

Crabs caught on the Cape St. James are unloaded on the dock at Bornstein Seafoods.While the crab cooked, Grandma made her “Dupuis Pink Sauce.” Grandma’s last name was Dupuis and she’d discovered the sweet sauce, made with chilies, mayonnaise and pickles, while dining at the Dupuis Tavern in Port Angeles, Wash. We never figured out for certain if Grandma was partial to the sauce for its flavor, or simply because it bore her name. Nevertheless, it was a must with Dungeness crab in our family.

Many seafood lovers consider Dungeness crab to be the best eating crab in the United States, if not the world. The creamy white meat is sweet, succulent and buttery rich. “Dungeness Crab,” said James Beard, “is sheer unadulterated crab pleasure.”

Named for Dungeness, a small fishing village on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington, these delicious crab are unique to the Pacific Northwest; their range extends from Monterey Bay in California north to Alaska. Except for several months during their molting season, which runs through September and early October, Dungeness crab are available all year long from Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

The largest Dungeness crab are taken from Alaskan waters, where the minimum catch standard is 6 1/4 inches across the shell. Commercial catches in Oregon and Washington require a minimum size of 6 inches, while in California the minimum requirement is just 5 3/4 inches. While quality between the different fisheries is consistent, most connoisseurs of Dungeness crab agree, “the bigger the better.” The reason for this is simple: Bigger crab have more meat.

When they’re in season, Dungeness crab are sold live, whole cooked, and whole cooked/frozen. Whenever possible, buy live crab as opposed to precooked crab; your chances of getting a better quality product are much greater. There are several reasons for this: One, commercial crab cookers cook all crab for the same amount of time, regardless of their weight. This overcooks all but the largest crab. Also, there’s no way of telling for certain when a crab was caught or when it was cooked. The fresher crab is, the better.

Live crab should be purchased and cooked within one week of harvest, as they do not feed in the tank and lose body weight rapidly. Cook live crab the same day you buy them. Chill crab thoroughly before cooking by packing them in ice and covering them with a damp towel, or by placing them in the freezer for about 10 minutes. (If a crab is warm when you drop it into boiling water, it can trigger a defense system, causing it to pop its legs off.) Before cooking, discard any dead crab. Chilled crab become docile but they should still move their legs slightly and their mouths should still be active.

Cook crab in boiling salt water (1/2 pound of kosher salt per gallon of water gives the same salinity as sea water) for 8 to 10 minutes per pound. Once the crab are cooked, transfer them immediately to a sink or bowl filled with ice water and chill them thoroughly before serving.

Crab should be eaten within two days of being cooked. Store cooked crab in the refrigerator – packed in ice and covered with a damp towel (replenish the ice as it melts and pour off water). When buying cooked crab, be selective – you want the freshest, best quality crab you can find – ask when the crab was cooked and how it was cooked. Avoid crab that has been previously frozen, as quality in frozen products can vary dramatically.

When serving Dungeness crab. allow one-half to one whole crab per person. Clean and pre-crack crab using a mallet or hammer to break the shells open. (Nut crackers don’t work very well.) Serve with melted butter, or toss with your favorite sauce. Many people enjoy eating the crab butter or tomale, the silky textured, creamy white “butter” found inside the crab shell, which is delicious sopped up with bread. (Use caution if you do eat the butter, for this is where crab store toxic demoic acid.)

Northwest wines and ales make terrific partners for Dungeness crab. Look for crisp white wines – many dry Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Blancs and Pinot Gris are delicious with rich, sweet crab meat. Malty ales with a hint of sweetness are also very good.

Crab is fun to eat. Cover the table with butcher paper or layers of newspaper and have plenty of napkins on hand. Finger bowls filled with hot tea and lemon slices will clean sticky fingers admirably (the tannin from the tea and acid from the lemon slice right through the fat in the crab). Hot towels for wiping fingers are also a nice addition. Once the table is set, tie on a bib, roll up your sleeves and enjoy!

Dupuis pink sauce

From the Dupuis Seafood Inn, Port Angeles, Wash.

The recipe for this sauce was originally published in “The Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Favorite Eating Places” in 1950, when Dupuis was run by Mrs. Karl Kirk. Present owners Jack and Margaret Plaskett say it’s still a favorite with their customers.

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup red chili sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

4 sweet pickles, chopped fine

2 stalks celery, minced

4 green onions, diced

4 sprigs parsley, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together and serve with cracked Dungeness crab. Makes 2 cups.

Chilled Dungeness crab with olive oil, lemon and garlic

This is always a hit with family and friends. Make sure you have plenty of paper towels on hand.

1 2-pound cracked Dungeness crab, chilled

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Gently mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes before serving to blend flavors.