Whats the best way to cook crab legs?
Yeah, those frozen crab legs are pre-cooked, and you’re right about the color being the clue. I find that the best way to cook them is to steam them. I put my basic six-quart pot (the kind I use for everything from soups to spaghetti) on the stove with a steamer basket. (If you don’t have a steamer basket, a cooling rack or even a few table knives will do. You’re just trying to get the legs from being waterlogged.) Add an inch or so of water and the crab legs, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat so that it remains simmering. (The lid may not close tight immediately, especially for king crab legs. But once the steam softens them up, the joins will bend and you’ll be able to close the lid.) All you’re trying to do is re-heat them, so they’re ready in about 3 minutes for snow crabs, and 5 for king crabs. Just turn the heat off and they’ll hold fairly well in the hot steam. Since all you’re doing is reheating them, you can also use an oven or the microwave. I find that
My wife and I eat crab legs quite frequently and we find that the biggest most important part of the whole cooking process is to wash them thoroughly. We usually will soak them in water then rinse them and then soak them again and then rinse them once more. By doing this it seems to help get the salty fishy flavor out of them so that you can enjoy the crab meat. We warm them up by boiling them in water with lemon and a little garlic for about 5-10 minutes. Then the second most important thing is to let them drain after you take them out of the pot. Shake them a little over your sink so that they water can escape out from between the shell and the meat. After you shake them we usually place them on paper towels and serve them with a garlic lemon butter dipping sauce. Pretty much it’s one of our most favorite things.
Warm them up in the oven in some aluminum foil or in a covered casserole. Serve them with either melted butter or cocktail sauce or both. We have always used old fashioned nut crackers to crack the shells, and the nut picks to get the meat all the way out. Include a crunchy loaf of fresh French bread, with or without garlic butter, and a tossed green salad. Enjoy.
1. Sprinkle on a lil Old Bay and steam them. 2. Brush them with olive oil and toss them on the grill (about a minute on each side). Make some garlic butter to dip them in. Both ways are good, but I prefer the 2nd way. Most crab legs in a supermarket are pre-cooked, but if you ever get the chance to buy fresh crab legs, I highly recommend them. As with any fresh seafood, you can taste the difference.
