How do they catch King Crabs?
Die-hard watermen celebrate their crabbing prowess when setting out to find the king of all crabs. Measuring up and beyond 6 feet, this frigid water lover crawls the ocean floor from 120-600 feet deep. Some travel to intertidal areas where they get exposed during low tide and submerged during high. Yes, and they move rapidly, sometimes even a mile a day in search of even colder conditions. Bristol Bay, Norton Sound, and Pribilof Islands in and around the Bering Sea receive the most popularity for stocks of this much-desired and expensive cuisine. These watermen know the challenges and crash the waves in huge vessels measuring from 50 to 300 feet in length. To put it in perspective, a football field stretches 360 feet, so almost that long! Behemoth pots or cages, weighing almost 700 pounds line up the deck. The crew carefully bait the pots with herring, cod fish and other native cold water fish. Hydraulic cranes, built for such amazingly cold waters, lower the pots. With weather luck, skill in charting potential crab pockets, and determination to win, an agile crew catches one of the most prized and celebrated seafood choices.
Choose King Crab Legs as a super easy to prepare dinner. You can thank the watermen who spent up to 4 weeks on these huge sea vessels. After catching the crabs and keeping those that fit to the sizing scales, they place them in salt-water troughs for a transport back to land where they’ll receive a quick steaming, de-legging, and flash-freezing. King Crabs don’t last long out of the water, so quickness is key. When you lay your hands on some legs and claws, all you need to do is finish the cooking, about 5% left. Easy. Try grilling as the best choice. Turn the grill to medium high and brush olive oil on the frozen leg or claw. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side and then with tongs, turn over and finish for another 4-5 minutes. Once finished, take cutting shears, and snip a vertical line up the white, smooth side. Now you’re ready to enjoy. Clarified butter, warm dill, and Cajun sauces complement the briny, oceanic sweet meat perfectly. With 32% of your required protein for the day and boat loads of omeg-3s, you’re all set!
