What's the best way to steam crab legs?

Question

I love steamed crab legs in a restaurant. How can I fix them at home?

Answer 1

Hi !!!
Here you go...

Steamed Crab Legs

1. Crack the legs in half, so each portion is approximately 6 inches long.
2. Using very sharp scissors, cut a line along one side of the shell (do not cut into the meat). This will make the meat easier to get to after cooking.
3. Using a steamer, fill the pot approximately ½ full with water, making sure that if the water boils, it still will not touch the steaming basket.
4. Place cut crab legs into steamer basket. Do not place basket in steamer.
5. When water gets steaming hot (usually about 10 minutes, you want to see those little air bubbles starting to form in the water). Place basket in steamer and cover. Allow little to no steam to escape through lid.
6. Make your butter. (Simple way to do it - Melt a stick of butter in the microwave, then sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of either garlic salt or lemon pepper.)
7. Allow crabs to steam for 3-4 minutes per pound. Overcooked crab is horrible, as it gets tough. Undercooked crab is gross for obvious reasons, which is why you have to make sure the water is hot enough before adding the crab.

---------AND, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED...

Shallot Cream Sauce:

Sauté 3 tablespoons minced shallots or onion in 1 tablespoon butter or margarine until softened. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and 1/8 teaspoon each crushed dill weed and pepper. Cook and stir about 1 minute. Blend in 1/2 cup dairy sour cream; salt to taste. Makes about 1/2 cup.

-------AND...

Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
1 cup Sour Cream
1/4 tsp Seasoned or Onion Salt
1 tsp chopped Chives

Directions:
Melt butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir in sour cream, seasoned salt, and chives. Warm, but do not boil. Serve as dipping sauce in individual ramekins or small bowls. Great with king crab, shrimp, scallops, and salmon.

Answer 2

Buy frozen pre-cooked legs. The warehouse stores always have then at reasonable prices but the other grocers also have deals from time to time. Buy the largest legs you can afford. Remember smaller legs means more work and the legs will tend to get cold before you can get to all the meat.

Prepare your melted butter first. Hopefully you have the little butter warmer pots to put on your table, if not get some. If you omit this step you will always wonder why the crab legs always seem to taste better at restaurant.

Get a very large pot - preferably aluminum from a restaurant supply store.

Put a layer of clean stones in the bottom of the pot (about 2-3" in size).

Fill the pot about 2" high with water (below the top of the rocks.)

Place a layer of fresh herbs on top of the rocks (optional).

When the water has boiled and steam is produced place the frozen legs directly into pot. and cover. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until heated completely through.

Don't overcook.

Different thicknesses will cook at different rates.

Don't cook to many at once. Cook a few. Eat them when hot and delicious. Then cook some more.


Note: This is also the best method for cooking whole live lobsters. Tip: chill the lobsters in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes before cooking - it puts them almost to sleep, (but don't let them freeze please!) The lobsters are partially cooked (for other recipes) in about 8 minutes and fully cooked in about 15.

When I don't want to mess around with the really big pot and the rocks, I sometimes use a whole fish steamer. It's a thin walled aluminum pan about 20" long and 5 inches wide and tall with a lifter insert and a lid. You put it on the stove over two burners at once.

If you don't have the desire to get either the huge sock pot or a fish steamer, you can use a wok. Hopefully you have a dome lid for it. There are many kinds of shelves or steamer inserts for woks (you probably got one with your wok), but if not you could use either one of those collapsing metal vegetable steamer inserts. You can even use that otherwise useless burner ring, putting it inside the wok as a support to keep the legs above the water level.

Answer 3

Use a huge stainless steel stock pot. Get the water boiling really fast then dump in the crab legs. If frozen, they only take about 5 minutes once the water has started boiling again. It's really easy and very fast. Pull then out with tongs. Don't over cook or the crab legs will be tough and the water dilutes the flavor.
If you want to steam them I guess you could get a steamer basket (if you can find one big enough) to put over the boiling water. The way mentioned above has always worked for me though. Good luck.

Answer 4

The better question would be how to keep them warm at the table while eating, try this, in a roaster place 2 folded kitchen towels, add boiling water to pan just to absorb into towels without covering them, make sure they are well moist. On your table or service area, place trivets the length of your roaster is the distance the trivets are apart, Elevate your roaster 4-5 inches above table and place 2-3 lit candles underneath, Place legs in roaster and cover, this will keep them warm while eating, as well. Most crab unless alive and fresh is prepared when purchased. The more you steam and cook them the more your are abusing the meat. If you bring them up just to temperature, 165-180 degrees, without further cooking them (steam is at 212) the meat will be much more moist and tender. Just a suggestion... good luck

Answer 5

What I like to do is get a large roasting pan with one of those wire rack inserts in the bottom. You put a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the pan and lay the legs on the rack (this also helps them from getting all mangled up), then place the pan on 2 burners on your range (front & back), turn on med-low, and let them heat through. They are already cooked so about 15-20 minutes should do it.

Answer 6

Most Crab Legs you buy are frozen and already cooked.

The best way I've found is to:

Wrap them in a damp paper towel a few at a time.

Then wrap that bundle in plastic wrap.

Then microwave them for a couple of minutes at a time until they are hot.

Then enjoy!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Truce and Alton Brown have the right idea..but I take it a step further...and add butter and old Bay Seasoning to a zip-lock bag..micro for three - five minutes....yummy and no wasted time waiting for water to boil or steam and no flavor lost to water...bon appetit!

Answer 8

Well, it is difficult, as they are pretty mellow, but you might want to make fun of their mother this usually ticks them off.