How to Eat Delicious King Crab Like a Pro

King crab is one of the most prized seafood delicacies due to its incredibly sweet, rich flavor and tender meat While king crab may look intimidating with its large size and spiky legs, it’s actually quite simple and enjoyable to eat once you know the proper techniques

In this ultimate guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of eating king crab, from picking the perfect crab, to cracking the legs and claws, to getting every last bit of delicious meat out of this royal treat from the sea.

Choosing Your King Crab

The first step is selecting fresh king crab that will yield the most meat. Here are a few tips:

• Go for crab with a clean, not slimy or gritty shell. This indicates freshness.

• Pick crab that is cold and firm to the touch, not soft or warm.

• Heavier crab is ideal as the weight comes from the meat. Lighter crab will have less meat.

• Legs should be intact, not broken or missing.

• Opt for male crab versus female. Males have broader “shoulders” on the top shell while females have a rounder shell.

• Choose live crab or raw crab legs versus pre-cooked You’ll get more flavor and tender meat from raw

Once you’ve selected your fresh king crab, it’s time to start cracking and feasting!

Tools for Cracking King Crab Legs and Claws

Having the right tools will make eating king crab much easier:

• Mallet or small hammer – Essential for cracking open the hard shell. A meat tenderizer hammer works great.

• Cracking utensils – Crab crackers, pliers, or nut crackers are ideal for breaking into the legs and claws.

• Seafood fork – The two-pronged fork helps to pull meat out of narrow openings.

• Small knife or kitchen shears – Useful for cutting crab shells or sections of shell to expose meat.

• Crackers or bread – Have some on hand to dip into king crab butter or juice.

Cracking and Eating the Legs

The legs contain a good portion of meat. Here’s how to crack them open:

• Using a mallet or hammer, lightly tap the leg segment near the joint to crack the shell.

• Twist and break open the shell. There may be a cartilage-like membrane covering the meat; just remove it.

• Use a seafood fork, cocktail fork or your fingers to pull out leg meat in whole pieces when possible.

• For narrow openings, use the fork to get remaining meat out. Dip in butter for added flavor.

• Crack the leg segment closest to the body last since it contains the most meat.

• Don’t forget the small pointed tip segment. Crack the shell and nibble the tender meat right off.

Tackling the Claws

The claws contain the prized king crab meat. Follow these steps for delicious claw meat:

• Use a mallet or cracker to break the claw shell at the joint near the body.

• Twist open the shell. Remove membrane covering the meat.

• For large claws, use crab cracking tools, shears or a knife to cut through the shell and expose meat.

• Use a seafood fork to pull out the claw meat, keeping it in large chunks when possible.

• For narrow spaces, use the fork to pull out any remaining meat.

Getting to the Body Meat

Don’t miss out on the sweet meat inside the crab’s body/carapace:

• Flip the king crab upside down and use a mallet or hammer to crack the shell near the bottom openings. Knock off most of the shell.

• Peel back the top shell and remove feathery gills. Rinse out any visceral matter.

• Use a fork or fingers to pull out the large chunks of body meat.

• Cut body into sections if needed to reach all the meat.

Enjoying King Crab Legs and Claws

Once cracked, king crab can be eaten as-is with just a squeeze of lemon or lime. Here are some tasty ways to prepare and enjoy it:

• Dip pieces in melted garlic butter. The richness complements the crab beautifully.

• Try crab meat with some fresh avocado chunks. The creaminess pairs perfectly.

• For a cold salad, mix crab meat with grapefruit segments, peppery watercress and a citrus dressing.

• For a hot dish, sauté crab meat with butter, white wine and parsley.

• Stuff crab meat into avocados or tomatoes for an appetizer. Top with lime juice and chili flakes.

• Bake or broil crab-stuffed mushrooms caps for a delicious appetizer.

However you choose to indulge, king crab is a luxurious, buttery-sweet delicacy from the sea. Armed with the right tools and techniques, you can now crack, feast on and savor every last morsel. Just be ready for some serious finger-licking when enjoying this royal treat!