Can You Eat The Entire Body Of An Alaskan King Crab?
King crab can be a complicated affair. If you've ever felt at a loss when served the exoskeletal mammoth crustacean, you're not alone; it's almost a rite of passage in seafood dining. You've heard its meat is flaky, tender, and delicious, but how much of the crab's body can you eat once you've actually cracked into its shell and accessed it?
Luckily, connoisseurs like Robert DiGregorio, director of seafood quality at Fulton Fish Market, are here to make sure you dodge embarrassing mishaps before you even reach the restaurant. Speaking to Chowhound, he outlined exactly what you can and can't eat when it comes to crab: "When most people think of eating king crab, they only think of the legs," he says. "It's true that king crab legs are the most popular part of the crab to eat, they have the most meat and it's pretty easy to get to." (King crab legs can be easily cracked open with specialized crab cutters, or simply, regular kitchen scissors.)
However, DiGregorio adds that the claws are another well-loved part of the king crab. Some female crabs will also have roe inside, which is slightly sweet and crab-flavored. There is also the tomalley, or liver. "It's better than it sounds," he adds.
DiGregorio notes that, in the canning of crab meat, processors often extract and blend the body meat with the meat of legs and claws, resulting in cans with a typical mix of 60% leg and claw meat and 40% body meat. Dips, stuffings, and salads are where you'll commonly find this used. But, DiGregorio says, if you order a crab while dining out, nearly every part of the animal is fair game for your meal, minus the shell and gills.
What makes Alaskan king crab so special?
Most crabs, like blue claws, jonah crabs, and rock crabs, are sold live, but this is rare for king crabs, explains Robert DiGregorio. The most common way is to process them into what we see as king crab legs. At the processor, they're cleaned, sorted, cooked, separated, dipped in a brine, and glazed. They are then flash frozen to preserve their flavor and prevent freezer burn from forming. "This process produces the beautiful, succulent flavor one expects when enjoying king crab," DiGregorio adds.
Alaskan king crab is not the cheapest option. Costco, for instance, has been known to sell wild-caught king crab legs for $43.99 per pound, but it's renowned for its sweet, buttery meat and impressive size, typically around 6 pounds (the largest on record was 24 pounds). It's also a healthy pick, rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
The seafood can be baked, boiled, grilled, or steamed, and if you're going for the last option, try simmering beer in a roasting pan and cooking the legs on top, for perfectly steamed crab legs every time. Serve simply with salted butter and lemon wedges, and there you have it: an indulgent, impressive meal that you can tackle with DiGregorio's wisdom in mind.