How To Cook Crab Legs
Unlike whole crabs, almost all crab legs have been cooked before you buy them, so how to cook crab legs is a pretty easy process. You can still steam, boil, bake or grill them, depending on your preferences. You can also cook crab legs in the microwave. It is similar to steaming them, but if you are having company over for dinner, they might not be impressed if you tell them they were microwaved.
To learn how to cook crab legs by steaming, get out a large pot or steamer and add two cups of water and a tablespoon of sea salt. Bring the water to a boil. Place the crab legs on a rack at the bottom of the pan, not letting the legs touch the water. Bring the water again to a boil, and this time start timing. It only takes from five to seven minutes to steam crab legs. Don’t overdo it as the crab legs have already been pre-cooked. They are delicious served with melted butter.
Some people vary this traditional steaming method by steaming crab legs with a brine or other kind of spiced or prepared liquid. One of the most popular is to use beer and lemon. Other people use beer and a little vinegar as a mixture.
Learning how to cook crab legs by boiling is also a simple process. You will need to find a large saucepan and to fill it half full with water and a tablespoon of sea salt. Bring the water to boiling and add your crab legs. Lower the heat a little and let the legs simmer for five to seven minutes. When done, rinse the legs and serve with hot, melted butter.
Some people think that grilling crab legs is the best way to go. This is a very tasty and simple preparation method. All you need to do is fire up your grill to begin. Then baste either using olive oil or hot, melted butter, and place the crab legs shell side down on the barbecue rack. It only takes five to ten minutes until they are done. These are a great summer treat!
It is perfectly fine to cook crab legs in the microwave and there is probably no easier way. Place the crab legs on a microwave-safe container, cover with paper towels that are slightly damp, and then microwave for two to three minutes. Even some restaurant workers won’t be able to tell the difference in taste between microwaved and steamed crab legs.
They say if you are lucky enough to be at the ocean, you can sometimes find fresh crab legs instead of the usual pre-cooked fare. If that is the case, you can cook them using any of the above methods for steaming, boiling, grilling or microwaving, but you might need to cook them for another few minutes. It can take around twenty minutes to steam or boil a medium-sized, whole fresh crab.