We typically associate king crab legs with Alaska (and butter), but they are indigenous to the waters of the South Pacific as well. Down there, the accompaniment is a little more interesting. You can grill softshell crabs this way as well and serve them with the same salsa.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
8 to 12 king crab legs, thawed, or 8 to 12 softshell crabs, cleaned
Cilantro Salsa (page 616)
Preparation
Step 1
Start a charcoal or gas fire; don’t make it too hot. Position the grill rack at least 4 inches from the heat source.
Step 2
Grill the crab legs, turning once, just until the shells are too hot to touch, 5 to 8 minutes (if the legs have been split, grill them flesh side up so the juices do not spill out). Serve immediately with the salsa.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
