Steamed Snow Crab Legs have long been a favorite in my family. This recipe is one I slowly adapted over the years to where it is now- a perfect blend of timing and ingredients that works every time.
Ingredients:
- 8 “clusters” of crab legs (about 4lbs)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 lite beer (coors lite is my go to for steaming seafood)
- Old Bay seasoning
- 3 Lemons
- 1 cup water
Helpful Tools:
Directions:
- Place crab leg clusters in clean sink, and run cold water over them for at least five minutes to rinse off any debris and ice. Allow legs to thaw and then rinse again.
- Prepare you steam bath by pouring the beer, water, juice on 1 lemon and 3 TBS of Old Bay into your steaming pot. Stir and then cover. Place pots on stovetop and heat on high.
Layering the Pot:
Once the steam bath is at a rapid boil and the pot is steaming it’s time to load the crabs in. Load them in 3-4 clusters per layer. After each layer is placed in, squeeze a half lemon over the legs, trying to cover as much surface area as possible. Then- sprinkle old bay liberally over that layer. Now load the next layer in over the first and repeat the steps over again, until all crabs are in the pot. Cover the pot, and steam on high for 8 minutes. Timing is important here- a minute too short and you will have cold crab, a minute too long and the crab will be soggy- and the till will be so soft that cracking the crabs will be near impossible.
When the 8 minutes is up, remove crabs from pot and place them in a metal or glass bowl. Serve immediately with the Crab Butter.
Crab Butter:
- 1/2 Stick butter
- 1tsp old bay
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
