Burrowed in sandy and muddy terrain in the deep ocean depths of the continental shelves, the queen crab, better known as snow crab, searches out shrimp, clams, mussels, brittle stars, and even worms to jam-pack their shells with high protein meat. In fact, they boast 15 grams of protein per 3 oz. serving. They amaze the seafood enthusiast with their brownish red shells and white as snow meat when cooked. Watermen supply this delicacy from a deep dive along the Alaskan Pacific coastline or even the waterways along Canada and Maine's rocky shorelines. In fact, the catch is even abundant along Greenland and the coast of Japan. They do all the hard work in locating this crab so your menu can include an easy cooking choice.
At the dock the crew quickly steam, and flash freeze the snow crab since they don’t last long out of water. So, when you receive your portioned crab, in clusters, they will only need a thawing and quick cooking to achieve the salty, succulent taste. Delicate and somewhat fibrous, the long legs make the snap and pull of the meat easier to eat than any other crab, but what about the steaming at home? Follow these steps for ease:
Prepare in a Snap: Thaw your frozen clusters in the fridge overnight and then within a half hour before steaming, take the clusters out of the fridge and allow them to reach room temperature. The meat will cook more evenly and thoroughly from this state. Also, get your stock pot ready by filling water up to a positioned grate. Make sure you have about a half inch to spare since you want to steam and not boil the clusters.
Put on your chef hat. Sprinkle each crab leg with garlic salt and Old Bay. Turn the burner to medium-high, making sure the water boils. Once the water rumbles, turn the burners back to medium and affix the lid on the pot. Cook for 10 minutes.
Time to feast. Remove the legs with tongs to a serving tray and make sure your guests have clarified butter and bowls of spice for their snapping, cracking, and dunking. All the clusters will certainly find a ready plate, but if you do miraculously have leftovers, store them in a Tupperware container for up to 4 days. In this case, warm up the leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes. Rememeber, keep the delicacy delicious with an exact cooking and don't overdo it. You want tender crab meat with a slight brininess and buttery nutty taste!
