King crab

摘要

As landings rise and prices drop, more consumers discover the "wow" crustacean. Mark Palicki, the general manager and divisional buyer for Shaw's Crab House, knows that one of the reasons customers like king crab — aside from its sweet, succulent taste — is the wow factor. "You crack open a leg, and there's a huge piece of meat in there," Palicki says. "You don't have to fight with it to get a little teeny piece." Shaw's serves red king crab — the largest species, which can reach 6 feet from leg tip to leg tip and weigh 4 to 10 pounds — and buys 50,000 to 60,000 pounds annually for the two locations in the Chicago area.