Home-Frozen Vs. Commercial

• Crab is typically frozen at the factory because, like most other forms of shellfish, it's highly perishable. The quality of the flesh remains high because commercial blast freezers are very cold and freeze the legs quickly, which results in smaller ice crystals and better quality. If you've frozen your own at home or gotten them from a friend, they'll release a little more juice when you cook them but should still be tasty. The legs should be frozen as soon as they're separated from the crab to ensure food safety, and they should be the best quality you can manage.

Direct Grilling

• The simplest method of grilling crab legs is just to put them on the grill. Some cookbooks advise oiling the legs lightly, but the shell already provides adequate protection against the grill's heat. Arrange the legs with the thick portion toward the middle of the grill, and the thin "toes" at the edge where the heat is less intense. Use medium heat, about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking the crab legs for 5 to 7 minutes per side with the lid open. Test the legs by cracking open a joint and examining the meat. It should be white, not translucent, but still juicy. If it's dry, the legs are overcooked. If you have lots of legs, it's prudent to cook one cluster first to verify the timing.

Grilling in Foil

• Sometimes outdoor cooking is less about the smoky grilled flavor, and more about keeping the house cool in summer or avoiding lingering seafood odors. If that's the case, using foil produces crab legs that are more like the traditional steamed or boiled versions. Wrap each cluster of crab legs in a double layer of heavy aluminum foil along with a splash of water or white wine, a pat of butter, and a lemon slice or two. Place them on your grill and cover the lid, cooking them for 12 to 15 minutes. Open one package and crack a leg to see whether they're finished, and if not. give them another minute or two.

A Few Additional Points

• If you have a little more time for planning, you can leave the crab legs in your refrigerator overnight to thaw. This shortens your grilling time by a minute or 2 on each side if you're direct grilling, or by 2 to 3 minutes if you're steaming the legs in foil. If it proves that your crab legs were actually pre-cooked, following the instructions for uncooked legs will invariably overcook them. The color of the legs is a surefire test. If they're red, the legs are already cooked and should usually be grilled for no longer than 5 minutes per side.