Mezcal, butter, crab—these are a few of our favorite things, and Mezcalito on Polk Street combines the tasty trinity into one delicious dish.

The smoked garlic and the mezcal perfectly play against the sweet meat of the Dungeness crab, which is first parboiled and then finished in the oven with the beautiful butter medley. If the rain is keeping you inside this weekend, why not fill your house with this sweet perfume?

Mezcalito's Dungeness Crab with Mezcal Butter

Ingredients

1½ to 2 pounds Dungeness crab

2 oz. mezcal

½ pound baby potatoes

1 lemon

chives and chervil to garnish

Smoked Mezcal-Garlic Butter

10 cloves of garlic

½ pound unsalted butter

½ tbsp. chili flake

kosher salt and pepper to taste

2 cups hickory wood chips

Directions

1. Place hickory wood chips in a cast iron skillet and light. Once smoking, place a cookie sheet over the skillet.

2. Place garlic on top of cookie sheet and allow smoke to cover garlic until golden brown (about 15 minutes).

3. Purée garlic in food processor or small coffee grinder.

4. Melt butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat—add the rest of the ingredients and cook until garlic is soft.

Dungeness Crab Prep

1. Place crab in a large pot of boiling water and par-cook crab (seven-minute boil time). Remove and chill in a bowl full of ice water.

2. Once chilled, clean the crab by removing lungs and membrane. Cut in half (legs still attached to body) and rinse.

3. Boil baby potatoes until tender.

4. Put crab and potatoes in pan with one tablespoon of melted butter. Put smoked garlic butter on top of crab and roast for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

5. Take pan out and carefully deglaze with mezcal (the pan will flame up).

6. Add lemon juice. Garnish with grilled lemon, chervil, and chives.