How To Cook Crab Legs And Eat Them Too

Over the years I have consumed a number of snow crab leg dinners.  Growing up in Virginia we made a point to have crab legs any time we had a chance.  Virginia is very close to its seafood.  I remember spending a many days fishing off the coast of Virginia beach in the Atlantic or off the coast of Maryland in the Chesepeke Bay.  So you know we had some very fresh seafood at the table almost every night and crab legs were part of the feast.  Christmas was also a very special time to enjoy crab legs.  They were very easy to serve and did not take up a lot of room or time to cook.  They became the center piece of the meal.

I have found along my travels that their are actually people that dislike snow crab legs.  I can't figure out way.  They must not have had the legs cooked properly.  You would think, who could mess up a batch of crab legs.  Well, it is quite possible.  One distinct way of messing up a batch of crab legs is by cooking them too long.  That goes for steaming or broiling them.  Over cooking crab legs while broiling makes the meat in the legs become soft and watery.  YUCK!!!!  The consistancy just become very unappealing.  Over steaming the crab legs makes them brittle and in some occassion can make them thewy.  At this point they have lost all of their taste.

Cooking snow crab legs is fairly easy.  Some have made a art with it.  The easiest way to cook crab legs is to just steam them with water with old bay seasoning covering them.  The old bay seaps into the shells of the crabs while they steam and give the meat a zest. 

NOTE: DO NOT OVER COOK.  Snow crab legs already some in pre-cooked packages so they only need to be warmed back up.  That mean only cooking them at full steam for 5 to 7 mins. 

You will know if the crab legs are under cooked, over cooked or just right.

Just Right - The shell of the legs is hard, hot and when you crack the shell you will hear a snap.   The meat inside will not break apart, making it possible to pull out the entire chunk of meat.

Under Cooked - Under cooked snow crab legs wil be cold inside of the meat. You may get the snap of the shell when cracked.

Over Cooked - The shell when cracked will not snap and it will be mushy.  Meaning the shell will bend while you try to crack them open.  The meat inside will have lost its consistancy and it will be harder to get the meat out in one chunk.