Ginger Crabs with Spring Onions

A specialty of most Chinese restaurants, Crabs with Ginger and Spring Onions is a truly delectable dish just like any fish recipes. The only downside is that it is very fiddly and messy to eat, not a good idea when you are in a more formal dining atmosphere.

This dish is very easy to prepare, once you've tackled the messy job of chopping the crabs just like any other healthy recipes. The crabs are first deep fried before being cooked in sauce, a technique that makes the dish super tasty.I prefer eating it at home and comparing it to other baked fish recipes where I can really take the time to pick all the succulent meat and savour all its goodness. The freshness of the crabs is essential, so buying live crabs is the first prerequisite to the success of this dish.

Ingredients:

2 medium or 3 small live crabs
4 tbsps. corn flour
2"x2" piece of ginger, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 finger chilli, sliced diagonally
4 bunches of spring onions, cut in 2" long pieces
1/4 c. dry sherry or Chinese wine
1/4 c. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
2 c. water

Method:

Blanch the crabs briefly in boiling water. Take the shells off. Take the dead man's claws off.

Chop the body into 4 pieces and the shells into 2. With the back of a cleaver, crack the claws for easier picking. Put all the pieces in a mixing bowl, add 3 tbsp. of the cornflour, cover and shake.

Heat up some cooking oil and deep fry the crab pieces, in batches, on high heat for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a clean wok, stir fry the garlic, ginger and chilli in 1/4 c. of oil (you can use the oil used for frying the crab). Add the crab pieces. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sherry or Chinese wine, and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Disperse 1 tbsp. of cornflour in a bit of water and thicken the sauce. Check for seasonings. Add the spring onions and simmer for another minute. It is now ready to serve with rice or on a bed of boiled thin egg noodles.