Receta Drunken Alaska King Crab Legs + Hy-Vee Cooking Video and Giveaway!
Don’t let the looks of Alaska King Crab Legs intimidate you – they are one of the simplest foods to prepare at home, and are a real treat. Enjoy easy Drunken Alaska King Crab Legs any night of the week.
Let’s talk about recipe deal breakers, shall we?
For me, if I come across a dish that calls for bell peppers, cooked carrots, and/or mushrooms, I have to think long and hard about whether or not I have the energy to figure out a way to modify it. I know. Anything that requires infusing (who has the time,) and deep frying (I just…can’t) also tops the list.
Growing up in the Midwest we didn’t eat a lot of seafood for supper. Shrimp and tilapia were about as exotic as it got – and that was really only for special occasions. Now, over the years I’ve gotten comfortable preparing a variety of seafood but, until recently, Alaska King Crab Legs still topped the list of intimidating foods that I had no idea what to do with. Deal breaker!
Until.
Until my friend Laura started going absolutely bonkers for crab legs several years ago (she even has a crab sweater she wears on crab leg night!) and convinced me that not only are crab legs one of the most delicious seafood delicacies, but they literally take minutes to prepare – oh, and that I HAD to try making them at home.
I was nervous the first time I bought the brilliant orange, slightly spiny legs, and wasn’t sure I was doing it right as I snipped up the smooth part of the leg to reveal the luscious meat inside. As I dropped the legs into a big pot of boiling beer, lemon, garlic, and seafood seasoning, I prayed they’d turn out ok. And guess what? They turned out better thank ok. Like, way, way, over the top better than ok. They were mouthwatering! Sweet, succulent and truly unlike any other seafood I’d ever had. Alaska King Crab Legs have been nixed from my deal breaker list ever since!
As I mentioned several weeks ago I’ve teamed up with Hy-Vee during the month of December to highlight Alaska King Crab Legs. Over the course of the month I’ll be sharing three recipes using crab legs, and three cooking videos Hy-Vee and I made together showcasing the ingredient (check out the first one below!)
Up first is one of my favorite recipes for both flavor and ease of preparation – it’s the first way I ever made crab legs at home – Drunken Alaska King Crab Legs!
Here’s what you need to know: Beer. Lemons. Garlic. Old Bay. Alaska King Crab. 4 minutes. Ben wolfed these babies down without breathing. ‘Nuf said. Now let’s get started!
First thaw 3/4lb – 1lb Alaska King Crab Legs per person by placing them in the refrigerator the day before you want to eat ‘em. The crab legs Hy-Vee or your local grocery store sells are already cooked and frozen so all you need to do after thawing is heat them up.
Once thawed, split the legs with kitchen shears which you can buy at Hy-Vee, Target, Williams & Sonoma, etc. Turn the crab legs over to reveal the smooth side of the shell, then tuck the blade inside the joint and snip.
Tip: The legs have spines on the non-smooth side that aren’t really sharp-sharp, but if they bother your hands, nestle the leg in a kitchen towel and snip that way instead.
Next, get out the biggest pot you own. If you don’t have a pot that’s big enough to hold the legs standing upright, just break or chop them in half. To the pot add 3 Stella Artois beers. Stella is not only one of my favorite drinking beers, but it’s nice and mild in this dish, which is great because you really want the sweet flavor of the crab to shine through.
To the beer add 3 lemons that have been cut in half, 1 large head of garlic cut in half, and 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning. I am a huge fan of garlic and lemon with seafood. It’s a combo you just can’t go wrong with.
Bring the mixture to a boil then add the thawed crab legs, big knuckle side down, and place a lid on top. Four minutes later they’re done. Seriously!
Use tongs to transfer the legs to a platter then let them cool for a few minutes before peeling back the shell to get to the yummy meat inside.
Drunken Alaska King Crab Legs
Serves 3-4
Slightly adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Ingredients:
3 bottles Stella Artois beer
- 3 lemons, cut in half (plus extra for serving)
- 1 large head garlic, cut in half
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 3lbs Alaska King Crab Legs, split
- 1 stick butter, melted
Directions:
Add beer, lemons, garlic, and Old Bay seasoning to a very large stock pot then bring to a boil. Add crab legs then place a lid on top and cook for 4 minutes (it’s ok if lid doesn’t shut all the way.) Remove meat from shells then serve with butter.
The best way to enjoy the big hunks of meat is with a spritz of fresh lemon juice or dunked in melted butter. Just a dab’ll do ya’. If you aren’t yet, be prepared to become obsessed with Alaska King Crab Legs after this experience!
Check out our first cooking video below featuring Alaska King Crab Legs with 3 Dipping Sauces which also includes a demo of how to snip the crab legs!
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win either a $500 Hy-Vee gift card on Facebook OR a $100 Hy-Vee gift card plus a HUGE gift basket with all the crab-eating accessories you could ever want on Twitter! Click these links to enter:
Facebook $500 Gift Card Giveaway >
Twitter $100 Gift Card + Crab Basket Giveaway >