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With very little effort we will teach you how to steam crab legs and become the star chef at your next dinner party.

 

Eat like a king while you save like a goalie.

While the current economy has more people choosing to eat at home rather than dine out, that doesn’t mean you can’t be spoiled silly. One of the luxuries that people have found pleasure in is making and eating steamed crab legs at home.

Everyone is looking for ways to save a few extra dollars without sacrificing any lifestyle changes. Here’s a sure fire way to add some style and panache to your dinner table and impress your friends with your wicked cookery skills.

Steaming crab is actually much easier than most people think, mainly because the legs are already cooked and then flash frozen. Steaming them is just a matter of heating them up.

Choosing the right legs.

It doesn’t really matter which crab legs you choose they all taste good but I’ll give you may opinion anyhow. In order of greatness…

The best is “Red” King crab. There are three different types of king crab and all of them turn red when they’re cooked so it’s hard to tell them apart. If you are choosing these expensive crab legs buy them from your local fish monger as your grocery store will more than likely advertise all three king crab species as being “Red” King Crab. The reason why I like these legs the best is because the meat is a mild flavored sweetness and there is less work to crack open the shells and more meat reward than any other type of crab.

Dungeness Crab is also a great selection and, if you live on the west coast, you can usually buy the crab fresh or even live. There is more work involved in shelling and picking this crab but the rewards are worth the effort. Dungeness crab legs has a strong flavored compared to the other crab types.

Snow Crab legs are the cheapest and usually the easiest to find. They are easily shelled and cracked to release their sweet meat. They are not all that much different from the King Crab legs yet a lot cheaper. I usually opt for these crab legs when I’m steaming crab legs for more than a couple of people.

How to Steam Crab Legs

Letting your crab legs defrost in the fridge overnight is the best way to preserve their texture and flavors. But if you are making a last minute dinner with crab you can steam them frozen by leaving your crab in the steamer a couple of extra minutes (2-3 minutes).

 

In a large pot with a strainer/steamer insert bring 3 to 4 cups of water with 2 Tbsp. of sea salt to a full rolling boil. (Make sure the water level is below the bottom of the strainer.) Reduce the heat to medium/high and place the crab legs into the strainer insert and cover with a lid. Start your timer, steam the crab legs for 5 to 6 minutes or until they are heated all the way through.

While crab legs are steaming you can make any of the delicious recipes for crab legs dipping sauces here.

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How to Steam Crab Legs
 
 
:
: Entree, Appetiser, Main
Ingredients
  • Crab legs
  • water
  • sea salt