King Crab Leg Time

[Rustic23]

Having watched Deadliest Catch this season, it seams the Kink Crab season was effected by warm water, and the quotas were down. May have something to do with higher prices.

 

[golfnut]

I remember the days when King Crab Legs was much less $$ than lobster. When did the tide turn?

 

[akck]

Where can this be? In Seattle, I have been eating excellent halibut this spring for $18-$24/lb. And salmon? Lat weekend I bought excellent late run Copper River sockeye for $14.99. This all comes from Alaska, and is exquisite. I think it was about 30 years ago that this fish started to be promoted. Previously it just sold as sockeye in markets locally. It is actually tastier though, a rare example of hype reflecting reality.

I am not crazy about King crab. Our local Dungeness crab is to me is much sweeter and more delicate crab.

Ha

Alaska. I was factoring in the cost of the boat, fuel, gear, maintenance, etc. I remember the first year we had the boat, our catch cost $500-600/lb., and steadily went down each year. All told, we'd probably be ahead if we never got the boat and bought our fish/crab at the local markets. However, nothing compares to the taste of seafood caught that day or the day before compared to most "fresh" market seafood that's been on ice or frozen for a week or two.

 

[audreyh1]

Amazingly, we get Dungeness crab here in remote South Texas. Our local HEB which has a large seafood counter carries it. It's been frozen, of course, but when we get it, we usually try to get it still frozen and thaw it ourselves. The quality is outstanding, because, I suppose, they have been immediately frozen after catch and processing, and are also covered in a protective thin ice layer.

We've had plenty of Dungeness crab in WA, so we know what fresh tastes like.

 

[haha]

Alaska. I was factoring in the cost of the boat, fuel, gear, maintenance, etc. I remember the first year we had the boat, our catch cost $500-600/lb., and steadily went down each year. All told, we'd probably be ahead if we never got the boat and bought our fish/crab at the local markets. However, nothing compares to the taste of seafood caught that day or the day before compared to most "fresh" market seafood that's been on ice or frozen for a week or two.

True for sure. I've caught halibut in the Straits of Juan De Fuca when I lived out there. It was very good. Also oysters off the beach, mussels taken off rocks with a tire iron, sea run cutthroat, salmon etc. Unless someone invites me on his boat, no boat for me. Also kjy spearfishing days are overk but I sure enjoyed deep fried rockfish, ling cod, etc.

Still, if one knows what fresh fish looks like and goes to good, high turnover fish markets or sometimes right down to Fisherman's Terminal, buying it is plenty good enough for me.

Ha

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I remember the days when King Crab Legs was much less $$ than lobster. When did the tide turn?

When i discovered them, the price shot up, story of my life.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I like Dungeness crab. Sweetest meat. I never like King Crab nor Snow crab, but I eat them when they are on sale. But the Blue crab from Chesapeake bay is also very sweet but not a lot of meat.

The blue law crabs were a memory of my youth. My mom would walk with me to the fish monger. On occasion he would have a paper sign in the window "Blue Claw Crabs" they were in an old wooden bushel crate with seaweed, maybe 12 for 3 dollars? Thrown in a paper bag, take them home dump them in the sink wash them and try not to get bitten. Then dump them into the sauce with spaghetti, tons of work to get the meat. My lips would be all cut up and chapped when i was done. Wow thanks for the memories

 

[RobbieB]

From time to time I'll order up some softies from Maryland. A little flour and deep fry and you are good to go and don't have to pick them either, wonderful!

 

[braumeister]

The blue claw crabs were a memory of my youth.

Ah, yes!
As a kid, I would get up long before dawn and ride my bike about five miles to a spot where some old half-sunken wooden barges were. I carried a long handled net and a burlap sack.

You could crawl around on the part of the barges above the water line and just when it started to get light you saw the crabs a couple of feet down. Grab one with the net and toss it in the sack.

Once the sun was fully risen, the crabs went back down again, too deep to reach. But I was already on my way home with at least a couple dozen.

Now here's the kicker: the spot where I did this crabbing had a big sign on a pole nearby that read

No shellfish to be taken from these waters.
By order of the NYC Dept. of Health.

It wasn't all that far away from a sewage pipe that led out into Jamaica Bay.
I've always figured that the crabs (along with the mussels, clams and scungilli I dug from a nearby beach) have made me immune from most waterborne diseases.

As stated, thanks for the great memory!

 

[NW-Bound]

King crab good, but Dungeness better. Blue crab is bony, and seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Twenty or thirty years ago, I had good blue crab, but my recent experience with the Chesapeake crab when in Maryland was not positive.

Here, some stores have live Dungeness in tanks, and they are not more expensive than frozen ones at Costco. These live crabs may have been kept a while, and not necessarily better than the Costco frozen ones.

 

[ERD50]

King crab good, but Dungeness better. Blue crab is bony, and seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Twenty or thirty years ago, I had good blue crab, but my recent experience with the Chesapeake crab when in Maryland was not positive.

Here, some stores have live Dungeness in tanks, and they are not more expensive than frozen ones at Costco. These live crabs may have been kept a while, and not necessarily better than the Costco frozen ones.

I noticed the Dungeness crab at Costco lately, cheaper than the crab legs (well, per pound, not sure how much you get from each). I did have it years ago and loved it, will need to give it another try.

-ERD50

 

[Fedup]

King crab good, but Dungeness better. Blue crab is bony, and seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Twenty or thirty years ago, I had good blue crab, but my recent experience with the Chesapeake crab when in Maryland was not positive.

Here, some stores have live Dungeness in tanks, and they are not more expensive than frozen ones at Costco. These live crabs may have been kept a while, and not necessarily better than the Costco frozen ones.

I don't like to eat frozen Dungeness crab nor live ones from the tank. My daughter just mentioned recently that we have not had them for 10 years. I used to go down to Half Moon Bay in the Bay Area for Dungeness Crab. I got some with pretty good size and my favorite crab recipe is from an Italian chef from Napa Valley. It's SO GOOD! It will become of my kid's inheritance, a family heirloom recipe.

 

[braumeister]

Blue crab is bony.

Yeah, those bones are a problem.

Maybe you could get a dog?
Or roast them and make stock?

 

[MichaelB]

Another crab lover here. New Years Eve special.

I frequently see Dungeness crab at Costco and always think about giving them a try. What's the best way to prepare, and how many make a typical serving?

 

[braumeister]

Same as a lobster: just boil them until they turn bright red.

Serving size depends on how big they are and how much of a seafood lover you are. But for normal people, I think one crab per person would be a good start. It's not unusual to get half a pound of meat from a good sized Dungie.

 

[MichaelB]

Same as a lobster: just boil them until they turn bright red.

Serving size depends on how big they are and how much of a seafood lover you are. But for normal people, I think one crab per person would be a good start. It's not unusual to get half a pound of meat from a good sized Dungie.

Great, thanks. I'm definitely going to buy some next time I see them.

Is there any part of the crab to be avoided, or do we eat the whole thing (sans shell )

 

[braumeister]

Don't eat the bones.

 

[audreyh1]

Same as a lobster: just boil them until they turn bright red.

Serving size depends on how big they are and how much of a seafood lover you are. But for normal people, I think one crab per person would be a good start. It's not unusual to get half a pound of meat from a good sized Dungie.

The Dungeness crabs at Costco are already cooked AFAIK. Just like the king crab.

We buy clusters so never have to deal with the waste from the whole crab. And they are already cooked.

So eat cold or a quick steam to reheat.

 

[audreyh1]

Great, thanks. I'm definitely going to buy some next time I see them.

Is there any part of the crab to be avoided, or do we eat the whole thing (sans shell )

No cooking required. Yes you have to clean the Costco crabs since they are whole. That parts a pain IMO and there is a lot of waste, so I buy Dungeness crab clusters from HEB - all I have to do is remove the meat from the shell.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yeah, those bones are a problem.

Maybe you could get a dog?
Or roast them and make stock?

Hmmm... Should I have said "shelly", or "carapacy"?

Extracting the meat from blue crab, particularly smaller ones, is a lot of tedious work.

 

[MichaelB]

Was at Costco this morning getting ready for a family get-together this weekend and I saw that shellfish cart. On an impulse I bought one Dungeness crab and just had it for lunch. Yum. I could get used to that.

The claw meat reminded me of stone crab claws, which are very expensive. We've only bought them once (DW's 65th B'day bash) but next time I get a hankering for crab it'll be Costco Dungeness.

 

[NW-Bound]

It's been years (decades?) since Costco had stone crab claws, where I bought them. I just checked on the Web, and was astounded by the price, which can run as high as $50/lb.

 

[Fedup]

I didn't think Stone Crab claw tastes that good. I'm surprised it's expensive. I think I've had them in Cioppino stew from Italian type of restaurant. I could be wrong about the taste because I've not had them recently. My memory could be faulty.

 

[pb4uski]

I love all crab. I prefer stone crab cold with mustard/mayonaise sauce. King crab hot with butter.

When I was traveling regularly to NYC I would often order king crab at the Oyster Bar on 7th Ave at 54th (since closed).... they would cook it and cut ~1/3 of the shell off and put it under the broiler... all I had to do was put a fork in and pick out the meat and eat it... Yumm!

 

[euro]

Hmm. Well, I will go to the local Costco and report back...

So, my local Costco has them at $21.99. -- I decided to go for the lobster tails instead