The Kamchatka
Whole king crab legs, drawn butter, charred lemon & grilled asparagus
Draft recipe. This method has not yet been cooked and timed against a finished box by our chef. Times and weights will be confirmed before the first Founding 100 delivery.
In the box
- ·2 whole Kamchatka king crab legs, cooked and frozen (approx. 600 g)
- ·Drawn butter portion
- ·1 lemon
- ·200 g asparagus
- ·Flaky salt sachet
From your kitchen
- ·Kitchen scissors
- ·A steamer, or an oven and foil
- ·A griddle or heavy pan for the asparagus and lemon
Method
- 01
Thaw overnight in the fridge
Plan a day ahead. On a tray, in the fridge, in its bag, overnight. Not in water, not on the counter, not in a microwave. A rushed thaw is the difference between king crab and expensive rubber.
- 02
Accept that it is already cooked
King crab is cooked at sea within hours of landing and frozen — that is what makes it good, not a compromise. Your job is to warm it through. Nothing else.
- 03
Split the shells
Kitchen scissors down the flat underside of each leg, end to end. This is exactly what the kitchen does, and it turns the leg from a wrestling match into something a guest can lift the meat straight out of.
- 04
Warm through — 4–5 minutes, no more
Steam for 4–5 minutes, or wrap in foil with a spoonful of the butter and put it in a 150 °C oven for 6–8. It is ready the moment it is hot to the touch. Take it out. Every extra minute costs you texture and nothing else.
- 05
Char the lemon, grill the asparagus
Cut the lemon in half and put it face-down on a dry hot griddle until it is properly blackened — 2–3 minutes. It is worth doing: charring sweetens the juice and takes the edge off. Asparagus alongside, 3–4 minutes, turning.
- 06
Plate
Legs split-side up on a warm platter. Drawn butter in a small bowl for dipping. Charred lemon, asparagus, flaky salt.
Watch this
Overheating. It is already cooked, so all heat from here is a tax on texture. Four to five minutes to warm through, and if you are unsure, stop early — you can always give it another minute, but you cannot undo rubber.
At the table
- —This is a hands dish. Crackers, a finger bowl, big napkins, and no apology for any of it.
- —One warm platter in the middle of the table beats plating it up. Let people take the legs themselves.
- —Keep the butter warm — it firms up fast and cold butter kills the dish.
The Founding 100
We compose. Your kitchen cooks.
The Kamchatka arrives raw, portioned and chilled, with this card in the box. AED 350 per person.