Category: Seafood

King Crab Legs Baked, Grilled or Steamed

2 lbs of cooked Alaskan King Crab Legs on a sheet pan with butter.

Delicious King Crab Legs

Out of all seafood, I’ve got to admit that King Crab Legs are my all time favorite thing to eat. I love Snow Crab and Dungeoness Crab too but nothing, to me, is so satisfying as rewarding your self with a hefty sized piece of crab meat dipped in garlic butter. The flavor is so rich and sweet and it literally does melt in your mouth. The only problem is that they’re usually horribly expensive. I believe, however, that there is a time and place for everything, special occasions like birthdays and holidays have always warranted a place in my heart to splurge a little, even on a budget.

2 pound package of frozen Red King Crab legs labels $24.98/lb, total price $50.83!

King Crab Legs Market Price

The market price of seafood changes like anything else judging by the supply and demand. The only problem is is that it’s a little bit more unpredictable than, let’s say, beef or cattle because no one really knows how much is actually available. All we can do is judge the market by the previous and current catch recorded by quality control and government observers that keep track of the numbers.

I worked in Alaska, for a time, on a fishing factory trawler so, I know a little bit about how it works. I lived on a 220 ft fishing boat, out at sea, for 3 to 4 months at a time, depending on the fishing season. The difference with crabbing is how much further north they have to go and how much colder it gets. Crabbing is considered to be one of the most dangerous and deadly professions in the world. If you’ve ever caught an episode of Deadliest Catch, you know what I’m talking about.

All things considered, there are many other factors that go into pricing King Crab Legs when they hit the market. I can tell you that the price jumped 3 dollars more per pound, when I decided to film this video, from the previous week. If you want to know how I’ve gotten them cheaper, and I mean 1/3 this cost, check this out.

2 lbs of Frozen King Crab Legs on a cookie sheet.

Frozen King Crab Legs

It’s no secret that when we buy King Crab Legs we’re usually buying them frozen but did you realize that they’ve already even been pre-cooked. So, cooking these up at home really isn’t going to be that difficult because all we need to do is reheat them. They can easily be over cooked, though, so that’s something you should avoid at all costs. Following these simple methods should help you cook your crab perfectly and without complications.

Fully Cooked King Crab Legs and one thigh meat portion removed from the shell.
King Crab Legs Baked, Grilled or Steamed by PoorMansGourmet.
Baked, Grilled or Steamed King Crab Legs

The 3 most common ways to cook and/or reheat King Crab Legs is baked in the oven, barbecued on a grill or, the most popular, steamed in a large pot on a stove top. In this video tutorial, I demonstrate how to do all three with ease and I’ve listed the cooking time and temps, for each process, down below.

King Crab Legs Time and Temperature

Baked: 425° F 15 minutes

Grilled: 400° f 20 minutes

Steamed: 2″ Boiling water 8-10 minutes

Lobster Roll

2 cooked frozen lobsters.

The Best Lobster Roll

If you’re a fan of seafood and lobster is one of your favorite crustaceans, then you’re going to love this Lobster Roll. The last few years, social media apps and websites like Instagram and Pinterest have featured incredible photographs of these sub rolls over flowing with huge chunks of lobster. Restaurants up and down the coast lines have adopted these sandwich’s and added the lobster roll to their menu. Even one of Gordon Ramsey’s bar and grills features it, and I’ve heard it’s amazing, but I’m going to introduce a way to make them that I don’t think anyone else is doing, yet.

One bag with 2 frozen lobsters and another bag with frozen lobster arms and claws.

How to save Money on Lobsters

It’s not uncommon to spend $20 dollars per lbs when purchasing lobster. Especially if you’re buying it fresh or having it shipped inland. That’s why I’m grateful for large companies that can ship in bulk and cut down the costs that would otherwise pass on to us if we were ordering it ourselves. The shipping is where they get ya. The problem for me, though, is that its difficult to find live lobsters. The only live tank, that I’m aware of in this entire county, is at my local Asian market and, for some reason, they’re only housing Dungeoness crabs.

I purchased two bags of pre-cooked lobsters from Walmart but I’m not so sure I saved that much money. The first bag had 2 lobsters in it, weighing 1 lb 6 oz and it cost $15.98 before tax so, that purchase was definitely a winner; each Lobster weighing approximately 11 oz each. The second bag, however, was right on the money. 1 lb for $20 dollars but this bag had only arms and claws. If you ever wondered what was done with the rest of the lobster when you ordered a tail with your steak, this is it, among other things. The bottom line is, if you want to save real money on lobsters, move to a port city in Maine. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured anything else out.

In this video tutorial, I discover that one of the lobster was packaged over cooked and the meat from the tail and the claws was falling apart like pulled pork. If there is grey discoloration the meat is bad and it should be thrown out. Like crawfish, this is a sign that the lobster died before it was cooked and how long it was dead cannot be determined, indefinitely, and it can cause illness if it’s ingested. Luckily, the meat in from this lobster was still bright and white which suggests that the lobster just hung out in the bottom of a boil or steamer too long so, it was just fine to eat. But, just be aware of this if you ever encounter this issue.

Lobster Roll ingredients.

What’s in my Lobster Roll

The most common ingredients in a Lobster Roll are butter and mayonnaise. I like both but I have discovered that there are a lot of folks that don’t like mayo. So, if you’re one of those, you’ll be pleased to know that mayonnaise is not one of the ingredients in this recipe, though, it could be added if you’re wanting it.

Another common ingredient is Coleslaw. The pairing of the two really is quite nice and some just serve it on the side but, in my honest opinion, it seems to be more of a filler than anything. It makes the sandwich go farther with those tiny bits of lobster meat. Some folks like to add celery to the mixture of mayo and lobster, for a little crunch, but keep the coleslaw completely out of the sandwich. Personally, I just want the lobster. Also, most sandwich’s are prepared with cold lobster meat but I prepare mine warm and with entirely different ingredients. In fact I make more of sauce than anything; a cream sauce with Parmesan, Parsley, Chives and my soon to be famous Blackened Seasoning.

One 8″ stuffed Lobster Roll with whole tail and claw meat.
More Lobster Recipes

https://poormansgourmetkitchen.com/lobster-tail-with-claws.htmlIf you haven’t been following me long or this is your first time visiting PMGK, you probably don’t know that I’m a big fan of seafood and I only post the best recipes. My basic Baked Lobster Tail recipe has been #1 on YouTube for years and it’s not even my favorite of my lobster recipes. I have several others that you might be interested in trying here: Stuffed Lobster has shrimp, scallops and crab mixed with the lobster meat and a cream sauce, stuffed into the lobster cavity, then it’s baked with a bread crumb crust. Tempura Lobster Tails are dipped in a Japanese batter then deep fried till they’re golden brown and served with dipping butter, tempura dipping sauce and my secret sauce. My Grilled Lobster recipe teaches you how to humanely kill a lobster and I give you an insanely delicious Garlic Butter Basil marinade. The Lobster Sauce is a cream sauce designed for raviolis but can be used with any Italian past and it’s incredible. Poor Man’s Lobster has been really popular, too. I show you a few tricks to make imitation lobster out of a Cod fillet. My Lobster Bisque is made with Langostino lobster tails which saves a ton of money because they’re about the same price as shrimp per lb. Plus I show you how to cut out a ton of the fat without sacrificing flavor.

Lobster Roll video tutorial by poormansgourmet.
Lobster Roll Ingredients:

2 Lobsters, Steamed and shelled
2 Sub Rolls, 8″

1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 tsp Blackened Seasoning
1/4 tsp Parsley, dried
1/4 tsp Chive, dried
1 tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this amazing Lobster Roll.

Pan Fried Salmon with Crusted Spicy Mayo and Eel Sauce

Spicy Mayo Salmon with Eel Sauce.

The Best Pan Fried Salmon

If you’re a fan of fish and you love Salmon, this recipe is going to blow your mind; especially if you like sushi. With the exception of rice and Nori, this dish has almost everything you would expect in and on a traditional salmon or “Vegas” roll(no cream cheese either). The main difference is that this recipe uses a 4 oz pan fried salmon fillet instead of the itty-bitty pieces of fish, thinned out through the center portion of a sushi roll. Then the addition of spicy mayo, crushed french onions and eel sauce top off the best pan fried salmon, garnished with sliced cucumber.

1.27 lbs raw Atlantic Salmon filet.

Fresh or Frozen Salmon

Most of you don’t know much about my background, where I come from or what I’ve accomplished in my life. I’ve stayed very private because, for me, this is about the food, not me and my life. You might care to know, however, that I spent some time in the fishing industry and fished commercially for a living in Alaska for while so, I know a thing or two about seafood. I’ve also been trained professionally and my wife loves salmon. That means this recipe has to be top notch if I’m going to spend my valuable time writing, filming and posting about it.

Salmon is one of those commercialized fish that’s sold fresh or frozen. I will always recommend buying fresh, when it comes to fish because the freezing actually changes the filet’s drastically and they’re never the same again once they’re thawed. But, that being said, if you purchase your salmon frozen this recipe will still be amazing. Just know that, if you have the option and it’s affordable, you should always buy fresh. Your results and the quality, in my opinion, will always be 3 to 4 times greater than cooking with pre-frozen fish.

4 oz pan fried Salmon filet.

The Secret to Pan Fried Salmon

The average salmon filet portion size, per person, is cut 3 to 4 ounces but you can cut yours as big or as small as you like. Just season with kosher salt and pepper, pre-heat a non-stick pan to medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sear each filet, meat side down first for, approximately, 2 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 3 minutes to crisp up the skin and reach a medium to medium rare filet. If you prefer your salmon cooked less, just reduce your cooking time by a minute on the first side. Then remove from the heat and add the toppings.

If you don’t like spicy mayo, try using my Oriental Dressing instead. It will make an excellent substitution because it isn’t spicy and it has Asian ingredients, too.

Pan Fried Salmon with Crusted Spicy Mayo and Eel Sauce – poormansgourmet
Pan Fried Sushi Style Salmon

1 lbs Salmon Filet, cut 4 oz portions
1 tbs Spicy Mayo
1 tbs Unagi or Eel Sauce, per filet
1/2 cup French Onions, crushed
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for pan frying

Spicy Mayo
2 tbs Mayonnaise
2 tbs Sriracha

Eel Sauce
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Mirin
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Sake

Kosher salt and pepper the salmon, pan fry in olive oil(both sides 2 to 3 min), smear top of Salmon with Spicy Mayo, add crushed French Onions and drizzle eel sauce. Watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how it’s done.