Baked Dungeness Crab with Spicy Butter Sauce

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

In a large baking dish, arrange the lemon slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.

Pour the chicken stock, vinegar, and liquid crab boil into the dish over the lemons.

Place the Dungeness crab clusters on top of the lemon slices.

Season the crab with crab seasoning and the whole herb seasoning blend. Dot with cubes of salted butter.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

While the crab is baking, prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook until browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the diced onion and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Sauté for about a minute until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with chardonnay, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

Stir in the garlic paste, then add the two sticks of unsalted butter, allowing it to melt slowly and incorporate into the sauce.

Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt-free lemon pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and cayenne pepper.

Stir in the heavy cream until the sauce is smooth and combined. Finish by stirring in the chopped fresh parsley.

Remove the crab from the oven and uncover. Pour the prepared butter sauce all over the crab.

Add the cooked sausage and corn on the cob (if using) to the dish. Serve immediately.