Recipe and photo from the Taverna Opa Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Use a flambé pan, large skillet, or large chafing dish with rounded, deep sides and a long handle. Over medium, add the butter and let it melt. Add garlic and cook 1 1/2 minutes, until aromatic; do not let it burn. Add stock, salt, pepper, and crab legs. Cover and let simmer 6 minutes.
This may have to be done in batches if all the King Crab Legs do not all fit into the pan at one time. If done in batches, remove the heated legs from the pan and keep them warm until all are heated through. If done in batches, repeat until all are heated.
Note: If you are planning to flambé in front of your guests, light the dish at the table, but far away from guests and flammable objects. If you have a serving cart, now is the time to use it.
How To Flambe: When the last batch of crab legs are heated in the pan, remove cover, and reduce heat to medium high. Add the vodka around the sides of the pan and let the vodka warm. Ignite with a long match (such as fireplace matches or a long barbecue lighter). Never lean over the dish or pan as you light the fumes.
Let cook until flame disappears (at this point all alcohol has burned off).
Caution When You Flambe:
Please remember to use extreme caution here, you will be dealing with a liquid that is on fire.
Do not carry the dish while flaming, this is best done on a serving cart slightly away from your table.
Keep a large metal lid on hand, to cover the dish in case your flambé gets out of hand.
Once the flame subsides, serve crab legs with pan juices over them and a dish of melted clarified butter.
Makes 4 servings.
* The restaurant chef make his own fish stock for heating the claws, but for the home cook, using the shelf-stable boxed variety from the supermarket is much easier and works fine.
Taverna Opa's Steamed King Crab Legs Recipe: https://whatscookingamerica.net/q-a/kingcrab.htm