How to Cook Crab Legs
Crab legs are truly the food of the sea gods. There are several ways to cook them: you can boil them in a seaweed brine, barbecue them, or sautee them in wine.
Boiled in Seaweed Brine
Boiling crab legs is simple. You’ll need a large pot, freshest crab legs, enough seaweed to line the bottom of the pot and a half teaspoon of crab boil seasoning. Line the bottom of the pot with fresh seaweed. Fill with water. Bring to a boil. Add crab legs and crab boil spice. Reserve 2 cups of remaining brine. Cook until crab shells turn a bright red color. Don’t overcook. Crab meat becomes stringy if overcooked. Remove crab legs to a platter. It suggested that the crab legs be slit vertically for easier handling to remove meat. Or, provide a shell cracker for this purpose. Serve with a seasoned broth of melted butter, reserved brine, dash of hot sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Crab Legs Ala Barbecue
Barbecuing crab legs is another quick and easy way to cook this delicious seafood. Marinating for an hour in a seasoned brine adds extra flavor and speeds cooking time. Reserve brine for broth if desired. Crab legs should be placed directly over the grill’s grating over low to medium heat. Barbecue until shells change color on each side. Be creative with reserved brine. Add a dash of bourbon, lime juice and hot sauce with melted butter to reserved brine for a good accompaniment to the crab legs.
Crab Legs Elegante
Another cooking method for crab legs is a great dish for an elegant formal dinner. Add 2 tablespoons of clarified butter to a sauce pan large enough for crab legs to fit without crowding. Add one cup of extra dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc to melted butter. Stir until blended. Place crab legs in saucepan. Cover. Saute for approximately 5 minutes, basting crab legs 2-3 times with resulting liquor. For best presentation, serve atop seasoned risotto.
Boiled, seasoned or sauteed, crab legs satisfy any seafood lover’s cravings.
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