When I’m craving seafood, I turn to my favorite recipes which include seafood pasta, bacon wrapped scallops and this delicious crab dish. If you’re a crab lovers, you’ll adore to prepare this recipe! You can make this recipe with one type of crab, or with multiple varieties of crab. The most common types of crab include Dungeness crab, snow crab, king crab, stone crab, and blue crab. Crab species and availability tend to vary depending on your geographic area. Where I live, Dungeness crab are local to the region, so that’s what I often use. Snow crab and king crab are often found nationwide, either frozen or previously frozen. You can’t go wrong here, so choose what is available, looks the freshest, and what is affordable to you.
The best way to cook crab legs
I find that the easiest way to cook crab legs is to steam them. Heat 2-3 inches of water in a large pot until boiling. Place the crab legs in the pot and cover the pot. Cook until the crab is warmed through. Drain the water from the pot, then melt butter for the sauce. Add fresh garlic, along with salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Toss the crab in the butter mixture, then serve immediately. The majority of the crab that you buy at the store is pre-cooked, so in this case, all you’re really doing is reheating the crab. Typically crab legs take about 5-7 minutes to heat through. Legs tend to cook quicker than the body pieces of the crab. If you choose to cook the crab bodies along with the legs, you’ll want to add another 3-4 minutes to the cook time.
- Place 3 inches of water in a large, deep pot over medium heat.
- Place the crab legs in the pot and cover.
- Drain the crab legs and cover to keep warm.
- Return the crab to the pot and toss to coat with the garlic butter. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges if desired.
<li> Bring the water to a boil.</li>
<li>Crack the crab legs with a seafood cracker.
<li>Cook for 5-7 minutes until crab is heated through. If you have raw crab, cook for 10-12 minutes until flesh is red/orange and opaque.
<li>Melt the butter in the pot. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, pepper and parsley.