VAAG King Crab Lower Leg Meat

Name: VAAG King Crab Lower Leg Meat | Raw, Shelled | FINE & WILD
Brand: ALBION FINE FOODS
SKU: CRABVAAGLEGLOW
Price: 115.0 GBP
Availability: InStock

£115.00

325g 250g

Variant

Finnmark, Norway / Wild Caught

Wild Norwegian king crab lower leg meat from VAAG Seafood — the same Finnmark catch and the same hand-shelling process as our Prime cut, in smaller pieces ideal for chopping, dicing and folding through pasta, ravioli, sauces and stuffings. Raw-shelled by high-pressure processing, super-frozen at –50°C

VAAG King Crab Lower Leg Meat

£115.00

Wild Norwegian red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) lower leg meat — the same Finnmark catch, the same hand-shelling process and the same super-freezing at –50°C as our Prime Leg Meat, taken from the lower sections of the leg rather than the prime upper leg and claw. The meat is naturally in smaller, more irregular pieces — perfect for chopping, dicing or folding into preparations where presentation isn't about whole intact pieces, but the flavour and quality of the raw material is. The eating quality is identical to Prime: snow-white with the characteristic red striping, sweet and delicate on the palate, with the firm clean texture that defines properly handled king crab.

The shell work is done using high-pressure processing — a cold technology, unique to VAAG in Scandinavia, that uses extreme pressure to separate meat from shell without heat or chemicals. The result is raw, ready-to-use king crab meat that goes straight into the dish — no cracking, no picking, no waste. This is the cut to reach for when the king crab is going into a sauce, a filling, a soup, a pasta or a stuffing — anywhere the meat will be diced or folded through other ingredients rather than served in whole pieces. It is genuine king crab quality at a more sensible price point than the Prime cut, and for the right preparations it is the more useful product of the two.

Producer: VAAG Seafood, Henningsvær, Lofoten, Norway · Wild-caught from Finnmark, Norway (FAO Area 27)

Species: Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Catch method: Pot, Norwegian coastal fleet

Processing: Raw-shelled by HPP (high-pressure processing), vacuum-packed, super-frozen at –50°C

Ingredients: Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus). No additives.

Storage: Keep frozen at –18°C or below until the best-before date. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Once defrosted, refrigerate at 0–4°C and use within 4 days. Do not refreeze.

Allergens: Crustaceans

Remove from the packaging and place on kitchen paper on a plate in the fridge overnight. The meat will be ready to use the following day. Pat dry before cooking. Once defrosted, refrigerate at 0–4°C and use within 4 days. Do not refreeze.

The lower leg meat cooks in the same way as the Prime cut, but the smaller pieces lend themselves to preparations where the meat goes into something rather than being served as the centrepiece. The meat is raw, so the residual heat of a hot sauce or a freshly drained pasta will cook it in 2–3 minutes — there is no need to pre-cook before adding to the dish.

King crab linguine: Dice the raw crab into bite-sized pieces. In a pan, gently soften sliced garlic and fresh red chilli in good olive oil, then add halved fresh tomatoes (or a small amount of passata) and cook until they break down and concentrate. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar if needed. Cook the linguine until just short of al dente, transfer to the sauce with a splash of pasta water, and fold the raw crab through. Finish with torn basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Ravioli or tortellini filling: Dice the raw crab finely and fold through a salmon mousse (blended raw salmon, egg white and a touch of cream, seasoned with salt, white pepper and lemon zest). Use as a filling for fresh pasta. Poach the ravioli in simmering salted water for 3–4 minutes and serve with a light butter sauce or shellfish bisque.

King crab cakes: Combine the diced raw crab with finely chopped shallot, chives, lemon zest, a small amount of mayonnaise and just enough breadcrumbs to bind. Form into patties, chill for 30 minutes to firm up, then pan-fry in butter for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Serve with lemon and a herbed crème fraîche.

Bisque, chowder or shellfish soup: Add the diced raw crab to the finished soup in the last 2–3 minutes of cooking, off direct heat. The meat will warm through and finish cooking gently in the residual heat without going tough. The flavour the crab brings to the broth is exceptional.

Crab toast: Fold the diced raw crab through a small amount of brown butter, lemon zest and a touch of chilli. Pile onto hot toasted sourdough. The crab cooks in the warmth of the toast and the butter — no further heat needed.

Folding into risotto: Add the diced raw crab to the risotto in the final minute of cooking, off the heat, alongside the butter and Parmesan at the mantecatura stage. The residual heat is enough to bring the meat through to perfectly cooked.

The mistake to avoid: treating this cut as a substitute for canned or pasteurised crab. It is raw, premium-grade king crab in smaller pieces — not a downgrade, just a different application. Use accordingly.

Order Cut-Off Times & Delivery Date Selection

Orders placed before 2 PM (Monday to Friday) are dispatched the same day, unless you select a future delivery date at checkout.

Our Delivery Service

We use reliable third-party express courier services and high-quality insulated packaging. While our couriers are generally excellent, occasional delays can happen. We pack everything to stay fresh, even if transit takes a little longer.

Time-Sensitive & Event Orders

Can we guarantee delivery on a specific day? Unfortunately not - we rely on third-party couriers and can't control their schedules. All items leave us in perfect condition with good use-by dates, but final timing depends on the courier.

If your order is for a specific event, let us know in the notes section at checkout. We can often dispatch a day earlier to give you the best chance of timely arrival.

DELIVERY Changes After Dispatch

Once dispatched, your package is with the courier and we're unable to redirect it or change delivery details.

Saturday Delivery

Saturday delivery is available, though please note our couriers don't operate phone support at weekends and our office is closed. For event-critical orders, a weekday delivery gives us more flexibility to help if any issues arise.

Full delivery details and shipping rates: here

Description

Wild Norwegian red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) lower leg meat — the same Finnmark catch, the same hand-shelling process and the same super-freezing at –50°C as our Prime Leg Meat, taken from the lower sections of the leg rather than the prime upper leg and claw. The meat is naturally in smaller, more irregular pieces — perfect for chopping, dicing or folding into preparations where presentation isn't about whole intact pieces, but the flavour and quality of the raw material is. The eating quality is identical to Prime: snow-white with the characteristic red striping, sweet and delicate on the palate, with the firm clean texture that defines properly handled king crab.

The shell work is done using high-pressure processing — a cold technology, unique to VAAG in Scandinavia, that uses extreme pressure to separate meat from shell without heat or chemicals. The result is raw, ready-to-use king crab meat that goes straight into the dish — no cracking, no picking, no waste. This is the cut to reach for when the king crab is going into a sauce, a filling, a soup, a pasta or a stuffing — anywhere the meat will be diced or folded through other ingredients rather than served in whole pieces. It is genuine king crab quality at a more sensible price point than the Prime cut, and for the right preparations it is the more useful product of the two.