Sides to serve with crab legs

[paulj]

I'm trying to think of side dishes that would go well with crab legs at a Christmas Eve family gathering. Others are providing the crab.

In the past I've provided hor d'oeuvres like cheese, pate, savory crepes, and salads like a Nicoise. For this meal I am trying to think of finger foods (and dips) that would go well with the crab itself.

paulj

[SanseiDesigns]

A really good, warmed sour dough bread; corn on the cob (the manual eating tool theme), and gougeres. And on the ABC side of wine, try a nice Viognier.

[AlaskaChick]

Its king crab season in Alaska! We almost never eat it with melted butter but prefer sauces such as:

cocktail sauce - catsup, horseradish, lemon, worcestershire, pepper
flavored mayos - add chipotle, tarragon or other sauces/herbs to mayo
green goddess - mayo, garlic, parsley, anchovies
hollandaise

For sides, I like veggies or salad to offset the richness of the crab. Artichokes, green beans, brussels, sauted spinach, warm spinach salad.

Enjoy!

[paulj]

That reminds me of a nouvo-Japanese topping for mussels - mayo flavored with hon-dashi, sriracha and fish roe. It might make a good dip for crab.

paulj

[scoobyhed]

Any kind of steamed green vegetable seems to go well with crab, especially one that goes well with the melted butter you're presumably dipping it in. I second artichokes, but green beans, peas, maybe spinach would all work too.

[DanaB]

I was going to suggest artichokes, too. My all-time favorite meal is a whole cracked crab and an artichoke, served with a dipping sauce made with a mix of dijon mustard, mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a tad of dill.

[alliebear]

A friend and I just ate crab legs this weekend and we made twice-baked potatoes to go with it. I always seem to end up eating potatoes or artichokes when I eat crab legs.

[Sherri]

When we have cracked crab, artichokes seem to go particularly well - a whole eat-with-you-hands meal. Ditto for crusty bread, deviled eggs.

You might think of an antipasto platter along the lines of your Nicoise salad. If you live in a very cold area, a pot of hot soup simmering on the back burner could also be welcome.

Merry Christmas. Have a lovely meal.