Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

Split King Crab Legs are a great alternative to eating the legs whole. Consider preparing the legs this way if you are having guests that aren't into or aren't familiar with all the mashing, picking, and slicing required. This recipe leaves the meat super succulent and convenient.

To spice it up, add other flavors to the breadcrumb mixture. I especially like adding a dash of dried oregano or rosemary for an Italian flavor, and for a good old fashioned shore flavor, I add a pinch of paprika.

Split King Crab Legs with Butter and Breadcrumbs

1 to 1½ pounds of King crab legs, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon pinch salt
Optional: 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

King crab legs are sold fully cooked and frozen, so all you need to do is thaw them and heat them through.

Turn the oven on broil with the oven rack set 6-inches away from the heat.
In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, salt, and optional grated Parmesan cheese. Split the legs lengthwise with a serrated knife and brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil them at for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are golden brown and piping hot.

If the crab legs turn golden brown before they become piping hot, place a tented foil over them and transfer them to a lower oven rack. Let them cook for a few minutes. Serve immediately with a lobster fork and plenty of napkins.

Polenta is delicious and takes on just about any flavor; which is why I prefer to cook it in broth. To save time, I use a pressure cooker vs the stove top. It does tend to burn the bottom of the pressure cooker, but don’t worry. Just use the unburned portion. I like to treat my polenta like mashed potatoes, however if you want to be more decorative and cut it into squares or triangles, after mixing in the Parmesan cheese (and optional veggies, see note below) spoon it out into a casserole dish and let it cool in the fridge. Once it sets, flip it over out onto a cutting board and slice it up anyway you want.

Parmesan Polenta served on Sautéed Greens
Makes 4 servings

For the Polenta:
1 cup (8 ounces) polenta
1 pinch salt, plus more to taste
1 quart vegetable broth
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges from 1 lemon

For the Green:
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch Kale, Spinach, or Escarole, chopped into bite size pieces (make sure to rinse it well and pat dry before chopping)
1 teaspoon roasted garlic paste (or mashed roasted garlic)
1 pinch salt

Mix the polenta, salt, and vegetable broth in a pressure cooker and seal the lid and set it over medium heat. When the pressure begins to build up, cook the polenta for 15 minutes. When the polenta is done, carefully release the valve according to the manufacturing instructions. Don’t worry, if some of the polenta burns and sticks to the bottom of the cooker just use the unburned portion. Take care when scraping it up. Transfer the polenta into a bowl and then mix in the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

When the polenta has 5 minutes left to cook, prepare the greens. Slick a large sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the greens in batches until they wilt and are just tender; this takes about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer all the greens into a medium bowl and add in the garlic paste. Mix until it is well combined. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.

To assemble the dish, divide the greens among 4 plates and treat the polenta like mashed potatoes and place a mound on each plate over the greens. Top each mound of polenta with a sprinkle of parsley and a pinch of Parmesan cheese. Drizzle each plate with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for the greens.

Note on cheese: any cheese will work here included melted brie, shredded cheddar, shredded manchego, to give you a few ideas.

Note to dress up polenta: if you want to dress up polenta, add in chopped roasted veggies along with the cheese, or serve this over a fillet of fish or grilled chicken.

Herb and Spice Suggestions: I love polenta made with fresh herbs. I prefer to mix the herbs in after the potenta has cooked. However if you want to use ground spices such as curry, you can mix this in before cooking.

Tomato-Garlic Crab Legs is messy but I believe that's half the fun. Simply serve with lots of napkins or wear a bib. And actually, that's part of the charm. I mean, nothing breaks the ice to a romantic meal and gets the conversation flowing than sleeves rolled up and crab juices flying.

Before you get started here are a few options: If you are partial to olive oil, you can use this instead of butter. And if you like your crab legs mildly spicy, add a dash or two of Tabasco to the tomato mixture. To add even more rustic garlic flavor, make your own roasted garlic, if you have the time.


Tomato-Garlic Crab Legs
Makes 2 servings

¼ cup-store bought roasted minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 pounds snow crab legs, at room temperature, legs sliced length wise so the juices can seep in
Sliced rustic country bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl combine the roasted garlic, wine, butter, tomatoes, Worcestershire, salt, and parsley. Place the crab legs in a Dutch oven or casserole dish and cover them with the mixture. Place the Dutch oven lid on or if you are using a casserole dish tent a piece of foil over it (make sure the foil doesn't touch the tomatoes). Bake for 15 minutes until piping hot. Serve immediately on a plate with some of the juice and tomato mixture spooned on top. Include some bread for dipping and serve with a lobster fork, and a nut cracker.