These legs from the king of crabs come already cooked at your supermarket (usually previously frozen), so we won’t have to boil them long to finish them off. But we do want to give them a long enough bath to get the flavor of garlic into the meat. To aid in this process we need to poke several holes in the shell along each leg so that the garlic water can seep in. Use the handle end of a nutcracker (the kind that is often served with crab to help crack the shells), or the back end of a wooden spoon to make those holes. This step also makes removing the shells easier when eating the crab. And you don’t have to worry about peeling the garlic cloves. Just pound ‘em flat with a mallet or foil-wrapped brick and toss ’em into the water.
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large heads garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 2 pounds king crab legs
ON THE SIDE
- melted butter
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Fill a large pot halfway with water. Add oil and bring to a boil. Crush all of the unpeeled garlic cloves with a mallet. When the water and oil come to a boil, add the garlic and parsley flakes and boil for 15 minutes.
- Cut the crab legs in half so that they will fit into the pot. Use the handle end of a thin wooden spoon or nutcracker to poke several holes in the shell of each crab leg. This will allow the flavor of the garlic to seep into the crab. Lower the crab into the pot and boil for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove crab legs and drain. Arrange one pound of crab on each plate. Serve with melted butter on the side.
