Alaskan King Crab Legs
History: This is an update to Alaskan King Crab Legs (2001-12-31).
This is a traditional New Year's Eve meal in our house. We bake the crabs, which had been bought frozen. We serve with a little melted butter and lemon, but the crab really stands out on its own. Feel free to throw another stick of butter into the pot if more dipping butter is desired. Originally served as part of: New Year's Eve 2002.
Ingredients
- 6 pounds frozen Alaskan King, 16 legs crab legs
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 clove peeled garlic (crushed)
- kosher salt
- 1 medium lemon (squeezed)
Instructions
We begin by pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees. In a small pot we melt the butter with the garlic and a pinch of salt over low heat. We then add the lemon juice and keep the pot on very low heat.
We put the frozen crab legs exposed crabmeat up into two 9 by 13 inch pans and brush them all over with the melted butter-lemon juice mix. We put the pan carefully in the oven, the legs are BIG, and bake for about 30 minutes brushing the exposed crabmeat a couple of times with the butter mixture. We want the crab legs to be heated through. We do not use all of the butter, we have about 4 or 5 tablespoons of butter remaining which we divide among small prep bowls. We serve the legs with the butter for dipping.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- kosher salt
- 1 medium lemon (juiced)
- 6 lb frozen Alaskan king crab legs (about 16 legs)
Instructions
What's a kid job?
A Kid job is a step kids can help with, with a grown-up nearby, not one they do on their own. Every kid is different, so go by what your child can do rather than by age. Roughly:
- Little ones (about 2 to 4) can stir, pour in ingredients a grown-up has measured, tear lettuce, wash vegetables and sprinkle toppings.
- Older kids (about 5 to 8) can also measure and level, crack eggs, whisk, roll and cut out dough, and put things together.
- Bigger kids can read the recipe aloud, keep track of the timer, and take on more of the cooking as they're ready.
Steps with a knife, microplane, skewers, stove, oven, grill or hot oil, or with raw meat, poultry or seafood, are marked Grown-up. Kids can still watch those, from a safe distance.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Melt the butter with the garlic and a pinch of salt in a small pot over low heat. Add the lemon juice and keep it on very low heat.
Kid job
Lay the frozen legs in two 9-by-13-inch pans, exposed meat up, and brush all over with the lemon butter.
Grown-up
Carefully put the pans in the oven (the legs are big) and bake about 30 minutes, brushing the meat with butter a couple of times, until heated through.
Divide the leftover butter (about 4 to 5 tablespoons) among small bowls for dipping.