Korean Butter-Grilled Crab
Kkotge-beoteo-gui is a Korean butter-grilled blue crab where halved crabs are basted with melted unsalted butter, minced garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice as they cook. The butter seeps into the crevices of the shell, coating every strand of crab meat with a nutty richness, while soy sauce and lemon add salinity and acidity that amplify the crab's inherent sweetness. A preliminary splash of rice wine on the cleaned crab neutralizes any briny smell before grilling begins. Cooking shell-side down first for four minutes transmits heat through the shell to steam the interior, and the total grill time stays under ten minutes to keep the flesh from drying out.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Split the crab, remove gills, and rinse thoroughly.
- 2
Sprinkle rice wine and rest 5 minutes to reduce fishiness.
- 3
Melt butter and mix with garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, and pepper flakes.
- 4
Grill crab shell-side down for 4 minutes on a preheated grill pan.
- 5
Flip, brush sauce, grill 4 minutes, brush again, and finish 2 more minutes.
- 6
Sprinkle parsley and serve immediately.
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Nutrition (per serving)
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