Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Seafood Appetizers
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 c Oil for deep frying
4 Soft shell crabs
2 T Oil for stir frying
-----SEASONINGS (PUT IN BOWL-----
2 T Salted black beans: rinsed
-in hot water, drained, and
-mashed into a paste
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t Ginger root, minced fine
2 Dried red chili peppers,
-tear into small pieces,
-do not discard seeds
1 Scallion, cut into pea-sized
-pieces, including the green
1/2 c Green or red bell pepper,
-chopped
-----SAUCE MIXTURE (MIX IN BOWL-----
1 1/2 T Chinese Shaohsing wine or
-pale dry sherry
1/2 t Sugar
1/4 t MSG (opt.)
2 T Thin soy sauce
1/4 c Chicken broth, clear
1 t Cornstarch, mixed with 2T
-cold water
1. Heat 1 cup oil in Wok to deep-fry temp. Add crabs and deep fry until
they turn orange. Drain crabs and discard oil. Clean and dry the Wok. 2.
Heat the Wok over high heat. Swirl in 2 T oil. When oil is hot, add
seasonings. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and stir fry for
about 10 seconds. Stir in sauce mixture. Put cooked crabs back into Wok.
Cover, turn heat to low, and cook until sauce comes to a boil. Stir in
cornstaarch and water. Stir and cook until sauce is thickened. Put on a
serving plate. Serve hot.
NOTE: For a less pungent hot dish, use 1 T salted black beans and 1 dried
chili pepper.
When you buy soft shell crabs, be sure they are still alive. Usually
they look quite dead, weak and limp. Touch their legs, eyes, or mouth. Even
if they respond only slightly and slowly, they are still alive. Refrigerate
them as soon as you get home.
Cleaning them is quite simple. Clip off the eyes and mouth. Lift the
top shell and remove the soft feather-like gills and discard them. Turn the
crab bottom up. Tear off and discard the cartlidge. (the shape of the
female's is half-oval, the male's is a narrow triangle).
