How to Steam King Crabs

The king crab is large and unwieldy, making it an excellent candidate for steaming.

The king crab is a type of spider crab descended from the hermit crab. This means that the joints in its legs bend behind the crab rather than in front so that it walks by pushing its legs back. The grandest of the spider crabs, the species includes about forty crab varieties weighing between 5 and 20 lb. King crabs live off the coasts of Japan, Russia and Alaska. Due to previous depletion, fisheries must throw all female crabs back into the sea. Steaming is one of the easiest ways to prepare king crab at home.

Things You'll Need

• King crab legs and claws
• Large saucepan
• Steamer
• Tap water
• 2-3 tsp. sea salt
• Sprig of fresh dill, tarragon or thyme
• Tongs

Instructions

1. Remove frozen king crab from the freezer about 24 hours before you plan to eat it. Place it in a large covered bowl and keep in your refrigerator. Remove the crab from the refrigerator when thawed completely, and rinse with cool water.

2. Run about three inches of water into a large saucepan. Sprinkle the water generously with 2 to 3 tsp. sea salt, and add your fresh sprig of dill, tarragon or thyme.

3. Turn the burner to high heat and boil the water. When it reaches boiling point, lay your crab legs in the bottom of the steamer with tongs. Do not stack them, as this causes uneven heating. If cooking a very large amount, you may need to steam only a little at a time.

4. Cover your pan, and steam the crab for six to ten minutes. Since the meat came pre-cooked, you must simply heat it all the way through. Take care to avoid overheating, as this yields rubbery, overcooked crab; remove it from the heat as soon as heating completes and place in a room temperature bowl or plate right away.

Tips & Warnings

• King crab virtually always comes pre-cooked, broken into claws and legs and frozen in the U.S. This makes preparation easy, as you need not worry about breaking down and cleaning a fresh crab.

• Serve king crab while hot. Provide each diner with a small bowl of melted butter, and place salt and pepper grinders on the table.

• Cover the table with old newspapers to contain the crab-picking mess as well as possible.

• The king crab's claws and legs contain the best and most tasty meat. Ask for only legs and claws if the store clerk tries to give you a whole crab.

• Cook frozen crab within about a month of freezing for best results.

• Though the king crab's fishing season lasts between January and June, you can find it frozen throughout the year at the grocery store.

• Check king crab carefully for bad smells. Good king crab retains a bit of the ocean's smell, but should not smell fishy or rotten. Discard if you notice strong smells to prevent food poisoning.

• Beware of blue-tinged meat and extreme saltiness. These suggest that the fishery did not cure the crab correctly, and might even signal too little cooking. Discard to prevent food poisoning.

• Never refreeze king crab, even if you purchased it thawed. You may only buy it frozen or previously frozen. Avoid refreezing seafood to prevent food-borne illness.

• If you have no fresh herbs on hand, just leave them out. Do not replace with dried herbs, which lack the same punch and can get caked around the crab shell.

References

• FishEx Quality Seafoods: King Crap 101.
• The Food Network: Steamed Alaskan King Crab Claws; Alton Brown.
• "Food and Wine": Steamed King Crab With Gewürztraminer Sauce; Marcia Kiesel; April 2002.
• Alaskankingcrab.com: How to Cook and Prepare Alaskan King Crab Legs.
• Alaska Seafood Direct: How to Prepare and Cook King Crab.
• Russian King Crab: Russian King Crab Species.

Resources

• Alaskan King Crab: King Crab 101.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service: Red King Crab.
• "The Washington Post": King Crabs Invade Antarctica; Eric Niiler; March 2011.
• "The New York Times": Roots of the King Crab; Natalie Angier; February 1992.
• Markbittman.com: Politics of the Plate; Barry Estabrook; September 2010.
• "The New York Times": Now, Live From Alaska, It's King Crab; Florence Fabricant; March 2001.