Fresh crab is an expensive restaurant delicacy for most of us. There are many great recipes for fresh crab, but most of us are afraid to try preparing this hard-shelled crustacean at home. It's not as hard as you think it is. Try these two recipes at home and enjoy Asian-style crab for a fraction of the restaurant price. Don't let the "Things You'll Need" list intimidate you; the ingredients are for two separate recipes. Serve either dish with plenty of freshly steamed white rice. Each of these recipes will serve two to three people as a main dish.
Instructions
Preparing Fresh Whole Crab for Cooking
1. Rinse two whole hard-shell crabs with water. Gently pry away the hard shell on top to expose the body of the crab. Go on and do it; this is the most intimidating part of the process, and it's really easy.
2. Remove the gray spongy tissue gently with your fingers or a small sharp knife, and discard it. These are the lungs, and they are inedible. Once you do that, everything else is good to eat. Rinse the crab with water.
3. Cut off the claws and legs, if your recipe calls for it. Lightly pound the claws and legs with a mallet or the back of your cleaver to break the shell. This will allow the recipe flavors to penetrate into the claw and leg meat.
4. Chop down center of crabs to cut the body in half, or gently pound the body shell to crack it, and proceed with your recipe.
Ginger and Scallion Crab
5. Prepare two large crabs. Remove the legs and claws from the crabs. Chop down the center of the crabs to cut the bodies in half. Cut each half crosswise into three pieces.
6. Prepare your vegetables. Cut eight green onions into one inch pieces. Remove the seeds from one small red bell pepper and cut the pepper into thin strips. Peel a four inch by one inch piece of ginger root and cut it into small julienne.
7. Combine 1/2 cup of water, 3 tbsp. wine or sherry, 1 tsp. of sugar, 1 tsp. bouillon granules and 2 tsp. of light soy sauce, all in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine 1/4 cup cold water and 2 tsp. of cornstarch.
8. Heat three tbsp. of vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat. Stir-fry the ginger in the oil for one minute. Add the cut up crabs and stir-fry for one minute. Add sherry mixture and pepper strips to the pan. Stir-fry over high heat until liquid boils. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer covered for four minutes, or until the crab turns red. (If using cooked crab, heat only until heated through.)
9. Stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine. Uncover the pan and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens. Add the green onions and 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil. Cook and stir for one more minute, then serve.
Singapore Chili Crab
10. Prepare one large Dungeness (or other) crab for cooking. Remove the legs and claws. Rinse the crab back shell (if available) and set it aside with the crab.
11. Pound together three cloves of garlic and a one-inch cube of fresh ginger with a mortar and pestle (or mince very finely with a knife). Place the mixture in a small bowl. Rinse the black beans, then crush them and add them to the garlic and ginger. Seed and finely mince two hot chiles and add them to the bowl. Set the mixture aside.
12. Heat one tbsp. of oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic-ginger mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant (30 seconds to one minute). Add catsup mixture and crab, then cook, stirring with a wide spatula, until the crab is hot and the sauce comes to a boil (three to four minutes). Add 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro to pan, if desired, then cook for an additional 30 seconds. (If using precooked crab, cook the sauce until thick, then add crab and heat through, then proceed with the recipe.)
13. Turn crab and sauce out of pan onto a platter. Surround the crab with steamed rice. Put crab shell atop crab pieces. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if you are using them.
Tags: center crabs, Chop down, Chop down center, claws legs, cook stirring, cornstarch mixture
