Content

• Tips
• Warnings

1 Buy frozen crab legs at the supermarket to ensure you get good quality meat. Frozen crab legs - aren't you afraid for their taste? In fact, frozen crab legs are usually tastier than thawed ones, since the latter do not retain the same taste and freshness that can be found in ice cream. Why is this happening?

• Most of the crab legs in supermarkets were already cooked on a fishing boat, immediately after they were caught, and then instantly frozen. Since crabs are often left at sea for long periods of time, and cooking helps to get rid of unwanted bacteria and germs, quick freezing helps preserve the flavor of the crabs.
• How do you know if your chosen crab legs have been pre-cooked? Pay attention to their color and packaging. Raw crab legs are usually pale, but when cooked they turn light orange or red. If you're still unsure, take a look at the packaging. It should clearly indicate whether these legs were pre-cooked or not.

2 Buy enough crab legs. How much exactly? If you plan on serving crabs with one or two dishes, 2-4 crab legs per person will be sufficient as a main course. Since crab legs can be very expensive, they can also be served as a snack. In this case, one leg of crab per person will be sufficient.

3 The legs of the crab should be frozen until they are boiled. You do not need to defrost or reheat them in the microwave before cooking, as they are already pre-cooked.

• You can, of course, reduce the cooking time of the crab legs by defrosting them first. To do this correctly, put them in the refrigerator for about 8 hours. The thawed crab legs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, after which they will disappear.

4 Rinse the legs first, then take a large saucepan and fill it halfway with water. You can add salt and spices if you like. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil over high heat. If you want to make small changes and add additional ingredients, we recommend the following options:

• Add some lemon juice (or vinegar) to the water. This will make the crab meat taste fresher and help eliminate the pungent smell of seafood. After the water boils, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a saucepan or add one tablespoon of vinegar.
• Boil water with beer and spices. Add two cans of flavored beer and four cans of water, simmer over medium heat. Then add one tablespoon of Old Bay to the water.

5 Place the crab legs in the water and wait for the water to boil again. Reduce heat and simmer the legs of small crabs for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, legs of large crabs for 7-8 minutes and legs of giant crabs for up to 15 minutes. After the time has passed, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Remember that you are not really cooking them, you are just reheating them.

• Depending on the size, the thawed crab legs should be boiled for two to five minutes.

6 Remove the crab legs from the boiling water and serve immediately with ghee. To make ghee, do the following:

• Take high quality butter and cut it into cubes. Allow the butter to melt completely over low heat so that a foam starts to appear on top. Let the oil simmer over low heat.
• Take a small slotted spoon or similar object and remove any foam from the surface of the oil. You do not need to remove all of the foam, even most of it. You do this in order to remove moisture and solids from fats.
• After that, strain the remaining liquid through cheesecloth or calico. Throw away any solid particles that remain on the gauze. You have just made refined butter!

Tips

• To break open the crab legs, you will need tools such as nut tongs, hammers, pliers, knives, and forks. It is not recommended to break crab legs with your teeth.
• There are many varieties of crab legs and your choice depends on your preference. The most popular are the legs of the royal Alaskan crab, the legs of the snow crab and the spider crab. King crab and snow crab legs are more readily available in North America, while spider crab legs are in high demand in Europe.
• Steam the crab legs for an even cleaner, fresher meat flavor. Boiling makes the taste leaner.
• More often than not, you just have to reheat what has already been cooked on the fishing boat. Cooking too long can ruin the flavor and texture of the meat.
• Crab legs can be sent to the pot immediately frozen, but do not forget to increase the cooking time by about 10 minutes.
• Buy 225-450 grams of crab legs per person.

Warnings

• Although thawed crab legs can last up to two days in the refrigerator, it is best to boil them as soon as possible. Crab legs can disappear very quickly, but you want to enjoy them as fresh as possible.
• Most of the crab legs in the supermarket are pre-cooked and all you have to do is defrost and reheat them. However, if you bought crab legs that have not been cooked, cook them for 10-15 minutes instead of the recommended 2-5 minutes.