Ingredients
- 1-1/2 1-1/2 pounds Alaska King crab legs (about 4 legs)
- 3 Tablespoons 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Warm Lemon-Cilantro Sabayon:
- 4 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup 1/4 cup dry white vermouth
- 1/4 cup 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Small pinch cayenne pepper
- 6 Tablespoons 6 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
- Twist and separate the sections of crab legs at the joints, while pulling out the long pieces of cartilage that run into the adjacent
- sections. Using kitchen shears, cut the shells open and remove the leg meat. Pick the body meat from the sections of crab at the base of
- the legs. Pat the crabmeat dry on paper towels. You should have at least 12 ounces.
- Choose eight individual gratin dishes, eight 4 to 6 ounce ramekins, or one small shallow baking dish. Brush the inside of the dish or
- dishes with melted butter. Arrange the crabmeat in the dishes, breaking the large pieces apart if necessary to fit. Brush the crabmeat with
- melted butter, cover the dishes, and refrigerate until almost ready to serve.
- Sabayon: Choose a medium-sized stainless steel mixing bowl and a saucepan on which it will sit. Fill the saucepan with about 2 inches of
- water. When the bowl rests on the pan, the bottom should not touch the water. Bring the water to a boil.
- Prepare a large bowl filled with ice water and have ready.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the vermouth, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and cayenne in the mixing bowl. Place it over the boiling water and
- whisk vigorously until the sabayon becomes very thick and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge the bowl the larger bowl filled with ice
- water, and whisk until the sabayon is cold to the touch.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks, then whisk it into the sabayon. Stir in the cilantro. Refrigerate the
- sabayon in a covered container until you are ready to finish the dish. It will keep up to a day.
- To serve, preheat the oven to 300F with the oven rack in the upper third. Bake the dish or dishes of crabmeat, uncovered, until just warm,
- 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the dishes from the oven and turn the boiler on high. Spoon the sabayon over the crabmeat. Broil until the top of
- the sauce is nicely browned. Serve right away with slices of crusty baguette.
Recipe Notes
Recipe by Jerry Traunfeld, Executive Chef, Poppy
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