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Opening King crab legs is easy. You can do it in just a few simple steps. Check them out below.
Steps
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1Pick up the crab leg with both hands. King crab legs are the biggest, so you really may need both.
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2Apply pressure to the crab’s major joint with your hands, crab tools, or miscellaneous table items. Crab legs have four sections with three joints to break.[1] (More to enjoy.)Advertisement
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3After you break off the first section, run your crab zipper down the soft side of the shell in one sweeping motion (if you don’t have a zipper, try a fork).[2]
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4Pull out the meat and enjoy. But you’re not done yet…
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5Repeat step 2 for the rest of the crab legs. Use a crab zipper or crab cracker (nutcracker) for the smaller sections if needed.[3]Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionIf boiling the crab legs, what else should I add to the water?
Community AnswerYou do not need to add anything. I do add 1 tsp of salt for every quart of water if the shells on the legs have not been cut (look at the claws). If the legs have been cut, just steam them in as little water as possible. Adding anything will change the pure flavor. All crab legs have been cooked, so all you need to do is reheat them. Boiling or steaming them too long will make the shells soggy and difficult to crack.
References
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