How to cook crab legs ?

The 3 best ways to cook crab legs

Cooking crab legs at home is easy and they can be prepared in many different ways. Because most crab legs sold on the market are cooked, all you do is heat them up and add more flavour. Here's what you need to know about the different ways to cook crab legs. 

Ingredients

Makes 3 to 4 servings

• 1,350 g crab legs, frozen and cooked. 
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) salt.
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) garlic powder.
• 1 tsp (5 ml) dill.
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsalted butter.

 

Method 1: “Boiled crab legs”

Step 1: Defrost crab legs.

• Put the crab in the refrigerator overnight and let the ice melt slowly.
• You can defrost it by placing the crab legs under cold running water for several minutes.
• Most frozen crab legs are cooked. If you prefer uncooked crab legs, you have no choice but to buy fresh crab.
• Cook crab legs as soon as possible after thawing. They will not last more than 2 days in the refrigerator and should not be refrozen.

 

Step 2: Fill a large saucepan with water and spices.

• The water should fill the pot halfway. Add salt, garlic powder and dill and heat the water to boiling over medium-high heat.
• You can use a casserole instead of a large pot.
• You can replace the garlic and dill powder with about 2 tbsp (30 ml) of your bulk seafood seasoning mix or any spice mix you prefer for crab legs.

 

Step 3: Add the crab legs.

• Reduce heat to medium for 3 to 6 minutes.
• Leave pan uncovered while crab legs are cooking.
• The crab legs do not need to be cooked, only reheated. Overcooking will cause them to lose their delicious taste.
• The water should continue to boil at a gentle temperature while the crab legs are cooking.

 

Step 4: Serve hot.

• Immediately place the crab legs on a serving plate with tongs and enjoy.
• You can also serve crab legs with melted butter.

 

Method 2: “Steamed Crab Legs”

Step 1: Defrost crab legs.

• Put the crab in the refrigerator overnight and let the ice melt slowly.
• You can defrost it by placing the crab legs under cold running water for several minutes.

 

Step 2: Fill the bottom of a steamer with water and salt.

• Put about 2 cups (500 ml) of water and 1 tbsp (15 ml) of salt at the bottom of a large steamer and boil over medium-high to high heat.
• You should fill the pot with water covering the entire bottom, but be careful not to touch the surface of the water under the steamer basket.
• You can also use a heavy saucepan, provided you have a steam grate, or a steam basket the same size as the saucepan can be placed on top.

 

Step 3: Put the crab in the steamer basket. 

• Arrange the crabs in an even layer inside the steam basket and place them on a pot of boiling water.
• It is best to use a steam grate or steam basket that can be lowered into the pan so that it can be closed with the lid.

 

Step 4: Cover the pan and cook. 

• Cover the pan with boiling water and let the crab legs cook for 6 minutes.
• Make sure the water is boiling before covering the pan and setting the clock.
• You will know the crab is ripe when it has a "Stewed smell".

 

Step 5: Serve hot. 

• Remove from pan with tongs and serve hot with melted butter.

 

Method 3: “Oven-Baked Crab Legs”

Step 1: Defrost the crab legs. 

• Let the ice thaw in the refrigerator the day before cooking.
• You can also replace thawing in the refrigerator by placing the crab legs under cold running water for several minutes.

 

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 177° C. 

• Prepare a shallow baking tray and fill the bottom with 3.175 mm of hot water.
• It is better to put hot water inside the tray rather than cold, as the tray will go into the oven. The temperature of the hot water is close to the temperature of the furnace. If you have cooked the crab legs in cold water, you must wait a few more minutes for the water inside the baking tray to warm up.

 

Step 3: Put the crab in the tray. 

• Place the crab legs in an even layer in the water.
• Cover the tray completely with aluminum foil after placing the crab legs.

Note: that you can add water at any time before or after placing the crab legs in the tray.

 

Step 4: Leave in the oven until hot and stir it once.

• Let the crab legs cook in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes
• This step is not required, but you can turn the crab over after 4 minutes to ensure that it cooks evenly, just be sure to put the foil back on the tray after turning the crab over.

 

Step 5: Serve hot. 

• Immediately transfer the hot crab legs to a serving plate and enjoy it with melted butter and salt to taste.