For a standing ovation, flavor the melted butter with a simple herb infusion

IN A PINCH If you’re unsure how long to steam crabs, crack a large shell before draining the pot: If the flesh is opaque, it’s done cooking. PHOTO: EMMA FISHMAN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES, PROP STYLING BY STEPHANIE DE LUCA

THE CHEF: Renee Touponce

Her Restaurants: Port of Call and Oyster Club, both in Mystic, Conn.

What She’s Known For: Inventive dishes that celebrate the local seafood and family farms of coastal Connecticut. Leading the kitchens at two buzzy restaurants in a burgeoning New England food town.

“IN JULY everyone around here goes crabbing,” said Reneé Touponce. “I go between two and four in the morning with a net and kayak, or just buckets if the tide is low. Then we camp out and cook the crabs after some sleep.” Ms. Touponce’s final Slow Food Fast recipe celebrates this summer ritual and messy outdoor eating in all its splendor. “We put out a bunch of newspapers and eat the steamed crabs with grilled corn and melted butter,” she explained.

Given its simplicity, the meal’s success truly comes down to the quality of the ingredients. Make an effort to seek out fresh blue crabs–which are “best cooked soon after they’ve been caught,” said Touponce. Beyond that, don’t fuss. On a fiery grill, unshucked ears of corn steam and sweeten from the inside out and grow seductively perfumed with smoke. Ever the chef, Touponce ensures her melted butter is a bit extra: Infused with garlic, shallot, herbs and red chiles, it amps up the flavor but asks little of the cook. Should you like, a squirt of lemon also complements the spread. Extra napkins are mandatory.

–Kitty Greenwald is a chef, food writer and the co-author of ‘Slow Fires’ (Clarkson Potter)

Steamed Blue Crabs With Grilled Corn and Warm Herb Butter

EMMA FISHMAN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES, PROP STYLING BY STEPHANIE DE LUCA

Ingredients

• 4 ears corn, unshucked
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 large, live blue crabs
• 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-6 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bird’s eye or other small red chiles, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. As it warms, soak corn in cold salted water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Add 2-3 inches of water to a large, tall pot set over high heat. Bring to a boil. Once steaming, add crabs in layers with generous sprinkles of Old Bay between them. Cover pot and cook until shells are bright red, 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Continue to let crabs steam in the covered pot for 5-10 minutes more to ensure the meat cooks through.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat, leaving the second stick at room temperature to soften. Add shallot, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and chiles to a pot of butter and, once simmering, stir until butter turns aromatic, about 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat but keep warm.
4. Drain corn and lay ears onto the hot grill. Cook, turning often, until husks blacken all the way around and kernels give when squeezed, about 10 minutes. Carefully pull back the husks (the corn will be very hot) and roll your ears in the softened butter before seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, place crabs and grilled corn on a newspaper-lined table. Pour melted butter–aromatics and all–into wide bowls for dipping.