dungenesssssssssssssssss

November 8, 2008 10:05 AM

Best preparation method for dungeness crab legs?

I just received a pile of them. I'm getting lots of differing cooking methods off the web and I'm not sure which way to go.

These crab legs are frozen.

Should I steam them or boil them?
For how long?
How do I know when they are done cooking?

Thanks.

posted by ohdeanna to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Are they commercially or privately caught? If they were commercially caught, they are already cooked. Just heat them up.

If they are were caught privately -- thus raw -- steaming is very good way to go, but you need a big enough pot. If you don't have a big pot, broiling is a great method.

I don't recommend boiling, I think the water infiltration into the shell dilutes the flavor.

Doneness -- the shell will pop with color, like shrimp.

Good Luck!
posted by Fuzzy Dog at 10:25 AM on November 8, 2008

If the crabs are raw, I'd go with roasting or broiling. Intense dry heat brings out intense flavor. There's a good chance they're already cooked though; the color is the clue.

Once they're roasted, what then? Of course, great crab hardly needs much done to it to be awesome, but if you're looking to guild the lily a bit, I'll suggest this recipe. You heat the cooked crabs by roasting them briefly in a hot oven and coat them in an intense garlicky, orangey, buttery sauce. It's seriously yummy and very easy.
posted by mostlymartha at 10:41 AM on November 8, 2008

This is confusing, do you have dungeness crab claws (very short and stubby and comes in singles) or do you have king crab legs (very long and thin and comes in a cluster)?
posted by Ferrari328 at 11:03 AM on November 8, 2008

After boiling, broiling or steaming, chill the crab and serve with mayonnaise--handmade if you've got the time and energy. Simple and yummy.
posted by Gordion Knott at 11:20 AM on November 8, 2008

@ferrari328

I have legs w/ claws.

@everyone else

They are definitely raw. There is a wide variance in the recommendations for how long to steam them- so, I'd like to know optimal steaming time if possible and any other special tips to increase deliciousnessssssssssss.
posted by mistsandrain at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2008

Are we to infer that ohdeanna and mistsandrain are the same person?
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 12:35 PM on November 8, 2008

esta correcto
posted by mistsandrain at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2008

Response by poster: Follow up:

This is what I did:

In a very large pot (not sure how many gal but think double boiler size) I brought 4 cups of filtered water w/ lots of added salt to a boil. I Added the frozen crab legs (basically 4 legs, 1 claw, all still attached together) and covered w/ a lid. After the water came back to a boil, I steamed them for 8 minutes. They came out perfectly. I didn't use any seasoning and just dipped them in butta.
posted by ohdeanna at 6:32 PM on November 8, 2008