King Crab Question

[thebaker]

Here in the next 2 months be going out of town to a very important appointment an we're thinking of going to a seafood place to eat but my question is this how do you get into the king crab legs?

Last time had them it took forever to get into the king crab legs to get the meat due been so spiny. So this time we don't want to have this problem again. Would you suggest to take a item to get into them or what?

Love Seafood......

[tamsam]

They should have the crackers to get into them. They look like big nut crackers and you just use them. I can't discribe but your waitress should be willing to show you. Good luck and enjoy your crab legs. I love them. Sam

[thebaker]

Originally Posted by tamsam

They should have the crackers to get into them. They look like big nut crackers and you just use them. I can't discribe but your waitress should be willing to show you. Good luck and enjoy your crab legs. I love them. Sam

The crab leg crackers we had was small and wouldn't even put a dent in the king crab legs an talking about hurting your hands oh my goodness it hurt. When finally got into the meat it was delicious but that done some work. Can't wait to have them again but sure hope it be easier this time.

[gladetop]

no need for the crakers. First break the legs at the joints so you have whole sections with meat in them. Take your fork and put just one prong in the end of the sections and unzip the shell to the other end of the section. Pry it open and pop the meat out whole, in one big awesome peice. mmmmmm. I got 5 pounds in the freezer right know. might have to cook some up tomorrow. (a perk of living in alaska)

[naturelover]

A really good seafood restaurant will provide you with heavy crackers for cracking the shells and a pick (like a nut pick or tiny narrow fork) for picking the meat out, as well as a bowl of hot lemon water for rinsing your hands frequently and extra napkins to hold in your hands for protection for gripping the crab legs and also for drying your hands after you rinse them. They should even provide you with a large bib to protect your clothing from dripping juices. If they don't provide you with all of those things then they're not a very good restaurant. If you want to play it safe take your own nut crackers and nut picks or large tweezers, and ask them for hot lemon water and extra napkins for cleaning up after yourself.

Personally I never order crab at a seafood restaurant, it's just too darned messy and slow. I think the best way to eat crab is at home, wearing grubby clothes, outside around a big bonfire where you can whoop it up with a crab pot cooking over the fire, where you can be as messy and piggy as you want and throw the shells in the fire when you've picked them clean.

At restaurants I go for the huge rock prawns (much tastier than lobster or crab), giant oysters (yeehaw!!!), scallops, white shrimp, crayfish, mussels, clams, periwinkles, etc. All much easier to get into than crab and not as expensive either.

.

[thebaker]

Originally Posted by gladetop

no need for the crakers. First break the legs at the joints so you have whole sections with meat in them. Take your fork and put just one prong in the end of the sections and unzip the shell to the other end of the section. Pry it open and pop the meat out whole, in one big awesome peice. mmmmmm. I got 5 pounds in the freezer right know. might have to cook some up tomorrow. (a perk of living in alaska)

Done that didn't work our fork bent. We've done the Alaskan snow crab legs like that but the king crab is a different thing. The Alaskan snow crab legs are easy to do but the king crab is hard to deal with. To bet it all the king crab legs was brought to us steaming hot but we never could get into the legs easy. The spines on the legs hurt our hands. My DH is thinking of us taking our own kitchen shears to be able to get into them without messing up a fork or two.

[thebaker]

Originally Posted by naturelover

A really good seafood restaurant will provide you with heavy crackers for cracking the shells and a pick (like a nut pick or tiny narrow fork) for picking the meat out, as well as a bowl of hot lemon water for rinsing your hands frequently and extra napkins to hold in your hands for protection for gripping the crab legs and also for drying your hands after you rinse them. They should even provide you with a large bib to protect your clothing from dripping juices. If they don't provide you with all of those things then they're not a very good restaurant. If you want to play it safe take your own nut crackers and nut picks or large tweezers, and ask them for hot lemon water and extra napkins for cleaning up after yourself.

Personally I never order crab at a seafood restaurant, it's just too darned messy and slow. I think the best way to eat crab is at home, wearing grubby clothes, outside around a big bonfire where you can whoop it up with a crab pot cooking over the fire, where you can be as messy and piggy as you want and throw the shells in the fire when you've picked them clean.

At restaurants I go for the huge rock prawns (much tastier than lobster or crab), giant oysters (yeehaw!!!), scallops, white shrimp, crayfish, mussels, clams, periwinkles, etc. All much easier to get into than crab and not as expensive either.

.

We're going to get other types of seafood to go with our king crab legs. They have a plater of oysters,scallops,clams and nice piece of flounder too. The last time we were there the restaurant didn't provide us with some of the things you mention. We would eat crab at home but where we live can't get crab so going out to a place is our best bet here.

[gladetop]

Originally Posted by thebaker

Done that didn't work our fork bent. We've done the Alaskan snow crab legs like that but the king crab is a different thing. The Alaskan snow crab legs are easy to do but the king crab is hard to deal with. To bet it all the king crab legs was brought to us steaming hot but we never could get into the legs easy. The spines on the legs hurt our hands. My DH is thinking of us taking our own kitchen shears to be able to get into them without messing up a fork or two.

yep you will bend a fork or two. I am talking about king crab legs. Works on both golden (which is what most 48ers eat) and the red king crab legs. You have to be sure you are cutting on the light colored side of the leg where it is thinner. But yes, you will bend your forks and you will still get poked by the spines. Just the way it is. I would bet a pair of kitchen shears would be the bees knees. I would try that.

[thebaker]

Originally Posted by gladetop

yep you will bend a fork or two. I am talking about king crab legs. Works on both golden (which is what most 48ers eat) and the red king crab legs. You have to be sure you are cutting on the light colored side of the leg where it is thinner. But yes, you will bend your forks and you will still get poked by the spines. Just the way it is. I would bet a pair of kitchen shears would be the bees knees. I would try that.

That was the side we were trying to open an it was very hard. I don't like bending any restaurants folks as it makes me feel bad. Maybe the crab they gave us was older or something. So hopefully next time be a better go.

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by thebaker

The spines on the legs hurt our hands. My DH is thinking of us taking our own kitchen shears to be able to get into them without messing up a fork or two.

Yes, those spines are very painful and some crab legs are just too tough for people to break with their hands or little crackers. You can wrap a napkin around the leg to break it and the napkin will protect your hands. When I'm doing up a mess of crab at home (as described above) I often will use a set of secateurs (pruning shears) to cut open the legs or cut them up into small sections. Pruning shears will cut through bone, crab and lobster shell and tough wood very nicely. Then I just use a pick to pick out the meat. You can use pliers too. Don't be embarrassed to take your own cutting and crushing tools with you if you want to enjoy a good meal out at a restaurant.

I hope you have a wonderful meal! LOVE seafood!!

[gladetop]

Originally Posted by thebaker

We're going to get other types of seafood to go with our king crab legs. They have a plater of oysters,scallops,clams and nice piece of flounder too. The last time we were there the restaurant didn't provide us with some of the things you mention. We would eat crab at home but where we live can't get crab so going out to a place is our best bet here.

My wife and I were just talking about available seafood yesterday. We are both from rural southern missouri so it was a bit of a shock to walk into
Wal-Mart here in alaska and see Fresh golden, red king crab legs, snow crabs,
oysers, several kinds of clams, halibut, shrimp, octopus, squid, ect, ect,ect.
ALL in Wal-Mart!!! You can just go crazy if your a seafood lover. I will miss it when we move back home.

[romysbaskets]

I can't resist.....we get Dungeness, tender easy to crack crab at least for us seafood regular folks who get to catch their own. For all our guests it is down to the dock for good old fashioned dock crabbing. We don't even have to fire up the boat! Clamming, fishing and on the boat shrimping...oh my are we lucky here? I thank God every day!

I don't use crackers on the Dungeness, sometimes if I do a Red Rock with a hard shell but the King Crab....strong hands and a fork....I agree! If this is hard for you and your hands aren't used to this....bring your own strong crackers to be sure, it is not fun to split your hands or hurt them until you learn a method that works for you! I actually prefer Dungeness to King Crab...hard to believe but when you pull them out of the water, drive up to your home and cook them up fresh...delicious! Nothing like fresh seafood. You will so enjoy your next seafood feast.....

[blufford]

If it was a blue crab you could use a wooden mallet or opposite end of a knife to break the shell much like taking a hammer to walnuts.

[Gloud]

Kitchen shears. cut them right up the leg, I usually do it on both sides. quick clean and fast. But I also only eat them at home. lol But you know I would bring the shears if you are going just for the legs.

[fantasymaker]

MB has the best Idea

[tinknal]

I think the only way they can afford "all you can eat crab legs" is because people get sick of cracking the dang things open before they actually eat all they can.

[LonelyNorthwind]

I didn't read all the replies but I havta add my 2 cents. In a restaurant your crab legs will be cut open and all you have to do is pull the meat out. If you're preparing your own, hold the leg "carefully" using gloves or a kitchen towel for protection and break the legs at the joints [B]backwards[B] so the membrane holding the joints together slips out. Then with kitchen shears cut lenghwise up the leg twice, about an inch apart, lift out the cut portion and "viola" there's your crabmeat. For the claws, which is the best part, there's nothing left to use but a hammer.



However, my favorite crab is Dungeness, much easier to eat too!

[texican]

I'd whoop out my leatherman and open em up... nothing I can't get into with a leatherman...

[Ed Norman]

Originally Posted by GrammasCabin

I didn't read all the replies but I havta add my 2 cents. In a restaurant your crab legs will be cut open and all you have to do is pull the meat out. If you're preparing your own, hold the leg "carefully" using gloves or a kitchen towel for protection and break the legs at the joints [B]backwards[B] so the membrane holding the joints together slips out. Then with kitchen shears cut lenghwise up the leg twice, about an inch apart, lift out the cut portion and "viola" there's your crabmeat. For the claws, which is the best part, there's nothing left to use but a hammer.



However, my favorite crab is Dungeness, much easier to eat too!

My wife wants to hang around with you.

[fellini123]

Originally Posted by GrammasCabin

I didn't read all the replies but I havta add my 2 cents. In a restaurant your crab legs will be cut open and all you have to do is pull the meat out. If you're preparing your own, hold the leg "carefully" using gloves or a kitchen towel for protection and break the legs at the joints [B]backwards[B] so the membrane holding the joints together slips out. Then with kitchen shears cut lenghwise up the leg twice, about an inch apart, lift out the cut portion and "viola" there's your crabmeat. For the claws, which is the best part, there's nothing left to use but a hammer.



However, my favorite crab is Dungeness, much easier to eat too!

My Dh wants to know if you ship???
And if not are you taking applications for another dh????

Alice in Virginia