King Crab Cocktail with Dipping Sauces - Third Course in our Spring Garden Party

"Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes." - Proverb on friendship

This is the third course in our Spring Garden Party that got rained out and moved into the house.  I hope you have friends you cook dinner together with.  This group has been getting together for about 20 years now.  If not, get a dinner group started.

   King crab legs have become one of our special traditions.  We always serve it for Christmas Eve and for Mother's Day.  For our party we decided to serve it cold and already out of the shell.  Our friends were so grateful for that.

   I bought both of these cute dishes at TJ Maxx.  The shell plates I found last year and could only find six, but this year they had a few more.  I love shopping there.  I told my husband it is like going on a treasure hunt.  The little crab bowls were this year also.  I only saw them at one TJ Maxx store, but maybe they will have a few more next year.

   Usually we bake the crab at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve it hot with sourdough bread and melted butter with lemons and limes.  It was already pre-cooked, so my husband just opened the shells.  We had each of the dishes portioned out into glass ramekins so that when we were ready to go we could just place the crab on crushed ice.  I love the ice they sell at Sonic Drive In, if you have one.  It is the little square shaped ice.  We bought that.  It makes for a nicer presentation.  We had the lemons cut and we stuck a toothpick in them and stood them up in the ice.  We placed a spring leaf of lettuce from the garden on top of the ice, then topped it with the crab.

   The crab bowls came in four colors.  I especially loved the green, but alas, they only had one in the green.

Cocktail Sauce

1 C. ketchup
4-5 tsp. extra hot horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon
20 grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Mix all together.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Can be served immediately.

Lemon Dijon Mayonnaise

1/2 C. mayonnaise
4-5 tsp. Grey Poupon Mustard
Squeeze of fresh lemon  juice

Mix all together.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Can be served immediately.

This course was also served with the Crusty Bread.  Each person had their own plate of crab.  We also served melted butter and lemons as a third sauce - the most traditional with King crab legs.

My next post will finish out our dinner party  with four courses.  Invite some friends over.  There is nothing like opening your home to friends.

Let me know about what dinners you have done with friends.  I would love to know.  My next post will finish out the four course dinner.