Cook King Crab Legs

King crab, or stone crab, is a type of shellfish with extremely long legs. They are usually cooked after they are caught and frozen to preserve freshness. The tender white meat is cooked for only a few minutes and served with butter. You can learn how to cook king crab legs by steaming, baking, boiling or grilling.

Steps

Steaming King Crab Legs

  1. Place the king crab legs in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Leave them there for 24 hours, if you have a large batch to defrost.
  2. Fill a large stock pot with water. Cover it. Set it to boil on your stove.
    • Make sure you have a cover and steamer insert for this method of cooking.
    • Consider beer steaming your crab legs. Pour a ratio of one part beer to one part water in your steamer.
  3. Cut two lemons into slices and place them in the water.
  4. Cut two cloves of garlic in half horizontally. Place them in the water.
  5. Remove the lid and place the steamer basket inside once it is boiling.
  6. Use kitchen shears to cut king crab legs at the joints. Place them in the steamer basket.
  7. Cover the stockpot and basket. Set your timer for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove the cooked crab after 5 minutes. Do additional batches as needed.
  9. Serve with melted butter. You should cut the crab shells vertically or serve the legs with a crab cracker.

Baking King Crab Legs

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
  2. Grab a large cooking sheet. Cover it with aluminum foil.
  3. Cut the crab legs at the joint with kitchen shears. Place them atop the lined baking sheet.
  4. Boil some water in the microwave or in a kettle. Pour 1/2 cup (118ml) of water into the baking sheet. The water should cover the bottom of the pan.
    • Cooking shellfish with some steam or water will keep it from getting dry and rubbery.
  5. Sprinkle the surface of the legs with herbs, such as garlic or dill.
  6. Squeeze lemon wedges over the legs. Place extra lemon wedges in the pan.
  7. Cover the crab legs with a layer of aluminum foil. Seal it as tightly as possible.
  8. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes.
  9. Remove the pan. Crack a leg to see if it is hot in the middle. If so, serve with melted butter and crab crackers immediately.

Grilling King Crab Legs

  1. Cut your defrosted king crab legs so that they will fit onto your grill. Make sure to cut them at the joints.
  2. Preheat your grill on low. You only want it to get to a temperature of about 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162 degrees Celsius).
  3. Brush the surface of the crab legs with oil.
  4. Set the crab legs on the surface of the grill. Close the top. Let them grill for 5 minutes.
  5. Flip over the crab legs. Remove after 5 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately with melted butter and lemon wedges.

Boiling King Crab Legs

  1. Fill a large stockpot with water. Set it to boil on your stove with the lid on.
  2. Reduce the temperature to set at a simmer. Insert the king crab legs into the boiling water. Cover the pot.
  3. Set your timer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove with tongs and drain. Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.

Tips

  • Always defrost the king crab legs fully before cooking them.
  • Since king crab is already cooked, the aim of any cooking method is to heat up the flesh evenly. Test a leg when your timer goes off to avoid overcooking it.
  • You can also dip the king crab legs in melted butter to give them more flavor.

Things You'll Need

  • King crab legs
  • Butter
  • Lemon wedges
  • Stockpot
  • Water
  • Steamer basket
  • Herbs
  • Oven
  • Cooking sheet
  • Aluminum foil
  • Marinade brush
  • Oil
  • Grill
  • Crab crackers
  • Tongs
  • Kitchen shears
  • Beer (optional)
  • Garlic

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Cook_King_Crab_Legs&oldid=309762"