By It’s Dungeness crab season here in Oregon. I’m a little biased from being raised in the Pacific Northwest, but Dungeness is my favorite crab. In fact, I even prefer it over lobster. There’s a sweetness to it that just cannot be beat.
Now is the perfect time to make this ceviche. It’s not true ceviche, which normally starts with raw seafood, but all of the flavor is there. I prefer to start with whole crab and remove the meat myself, but this recipe is pretty forgiving if you’d rather save time and just by the meat. If you are new to buying whole crab, I recommend having the butcher clean them for you.
I keep the ingredients pretty simple, and not too spicy to not overpower the crab. I’ve made it before with tomatoes, but I think they’re unnecessary. 
Makes about 3 cups
- Crab meat from two 1-1.25 pound Dungeness crabs, or about 10 oz crab meat
- 1/2 small red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- kosher salt
- 1 jalapeño
- 3-4 limes
- 1/4 bunch of cilantro
- 2-3 scallions
- 1 large avocado
- Flake salt (optional)
- Finely dice the half of the red onion, and add to a medium mixing bowl. Finely grate two cloves of garlic and add to onion. Sprinkle with kosher salt and toss while you prepare other ingredients.
- Remove seeds from jalapeño, unless you would prefer to have it be spicy. Small dice the jalapeño, and add to bowl.
- Add Dungeness crab meat, and juice of 3 limes. Lightly toss.
- Remove the roots of the scallions. Thinly slice. Finely chop the cilantro, including the stems. Add both to the bowl.
- Dice the avocado, and add it to the ceviche. Sprinkle with flake salt and carefully toss. Taste and check for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. If it needs more acid, add the juice of another lime.
- Serve immediately if you wish, or it can be chilled and enjoyed later in the day. I recommend enjoying with tortilla chips, slices of cucumber, or freshly fried tostadas. Alternatively, omit the avocado, and serve it on avocado instead for a healthy snack!
Down to a Simmer 