For the uninitiated, king crabs are actually more closely related to hermit crabs than the usual blue crabs or mud crabs that many Malaysians are used to.

This species, the red king crab, or commonly known as Alaskan king crab is most likely from the Northern Pacific Ocean, and while it is already big in size, they can weigh up to a huge 12 kilograms too.

While the crab does seem a little intimidating with its many thorns, its shells are actually thinner and softer compared to mud crabs, making it easy to cook and eat as well.

Nonetheless, this easy recipe, which takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, allows you to enjoy the crab’s true natural sweetness

Ingredients

• 1 Alaskan king Crab
• 5 cm butter
• Several cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ a lemon
• A handful of chopped cilantro (optional)

Method

• Begin by preparing the crab; snap off the crab’s legs, open up the shell, remove the gills and cut the body into equal halves.
• Next, in a claypot, place some butter and garlic (together with skin), followed by the crab halves. Then, turn on the heat and let everything steam for about 10 minutes.
• In a separate pot, heat up the olive oil and melt the remaining butter. Once done, add the lemon to the finished product, as this will be your dipping sauce.
• Once the crab is properly steamed, sprinkle the chopped cilantro over it and serve.