Steamed Crab Legs
Ingredients
- crab legs
- butter (salted or unsalted)
- seasonings of choice (for flavored butter)
- fresh lemon wedges
Instructions
- Before beginning any preparation of crab legs, you’ll want to defrost them in the refrigerator overnight (approximately 8-12 hours). Doing so ensures a consistent thaw while keeping freshness and flavor intact. Be sure to cook your crab legs immediately after defrosting.
- To begin, you’ll want to prep a large pot for steaming. Fill your pot with water and place over medium heat. Fill the pot a few inches high, making sure that the steamer basket is not submerged in the water once inserted.
- Bring the pot of water to a boil.
- Place the steamer basket in the pot and add crab legs, making sure not to overcrowd the basket.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let steam. If the lid does not sit comfortably on top of the pot, carefully cover the pot with aluminum foil instead.
- Let crab legs steam for 5-7 minutes until heated through. Larger crab legs, like Alaskan King Crab legs, may take a few additional minutes.
- You can tell that crab legs are nearing doneness upon smelling a sweet seafood aroma. Other signs of doneness include the color of the shell, and the color of the crab meat, which will be opaque white. When cracking open a crab leg, steam should rise, indicating that the meat is heated through.
- Once done, remove the crab legs from the steamer basket with tongs and place in a serving dish.
- Repeat the steaming process a few times if necessary, until all of your crab legs have been steamed.
- Serve crab legs immediately alongside a flavored dipping sauce or classic clarified butter and fresh lemon wedges.
- To prepare a butter sauce, simply melt a few tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add desired seasonings, stir until melted, and serve hot.
- Don’t forget your seafood claw crackers for serving!
Notes
*Photo by xuhulk is marked with CC BY 2.0
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