
Norwegian King Crab Legs
Jan 17, 2019Posted by Forno BravoPrintA relatively new arrival to Norway, the Norwegian King Crab was introduced by Soviet biologists into the Murmansk Fjord in the 1960’s. The crab thrived, and as early as 1977, the first King Crab was caught in Norwegian waters. They are now regularly harvested from these cold, northern waters. Red King Crabs, the largest species of its type, can reach a carapace width of up to 11 in, a leg span of 5.9 ft, and a weight of 28 lb!
This recipe is courtesy of John Livera. John is an aquaculture enthusiast — meaning, he knows and loves seafood! We are thrilled to try out his recipes as he shares his cooking expertise with the community!

Norwegian King Crab Legs
Wood fired Norwegian King Crab and melt-in-your-mouth roasted artichokes are a delicious and easy treat to make in your wood fired oven!
Ingredients
- 1 cluster Norwegian King Crab Legs - Fresh
- 1/2 lbs. unsalted butter
- 2 lemons - Cut into wedges
- 1 artichoke - Steamed
Instructions
- Set a steamer up in the pizza oven. Steam the artichoke for approximately 30 minutes, until its leaves are tender and falling off.
- In the last 8-10 minutes of cooking the artichoke, put the raw Norwegian crab legs in an oven-proof pan and place them in the oven. Cook them until they are bright red.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan in the mouth of the oven away from the main heat (on the hearth) and allow it to melt fully.
- Serve both the crab and artichoke with lemon wedges and melted butter for dipping.
Notes
Unless you are buying live crabs, or legs specifically labeled as "uncooked", both of which are available through some specialty distributors, most King Crab legs are already cooked when you purchase them. This usually happens on the fishing boats themselves, or immediately after landfall to preserve freshness. (The crab is caught, cooked, then blast frozen to preserve its fresh, sweet taste). If precooked, King Crab only needs to be adequately heated before eating.