Soft-Shell Crabs With Ginger and Black Bean Sauce
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 6soft-shell crabs, cleaned and ready to cook
- ½cup plus 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 3tablespoons shredded fresh ginger
- 1tablespoon shredded lemon rind, yellow part only
- 2small hot fresh red peppers, trimmed, seeded and deveined
- 2tablespoons finely minced garlic
- 1tablespoon salted and fermented black beans
- 1tablespoon dry sherry
- 1½cups broth such as fish or chicken, fresh or canned
- 1tablespoon finely minced lemon peel
- 2tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste if desired
- Oil for deep frying plus ¼ cup
- ¼cup cold water
- Fresh coriander sprigs
Preparation
- Step 1
Trim off the outer thin feeler claws of the crabs. Cut the crabs in half crosswise through the center.
- Step 2
Put ½ cup of the cornstarch in a dish and dip the cut part of each crab half in it. Shake off excess.
- Step 3
Combine ginger, shredded lemon rind and red pepper. Set aside.
- Step 4
Combine garlic, black beans and wine and set aside. Blend broth with minced lemon peel, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- Step 5
Heat fat for deep frying and when it is almost but not smoking, add half of the crab halves. Cook about three and one-half to five minutes or until red and crisp. Transfer to a sieve and drain. Cook the remaining crab halves. Drain.
- Step 6
Heat remaining one-quarter cup oil in clean skillet or wok. When hot add ginger mixture and cook about 10 minutes. Add black bean mixture and cook, stirring, about 20 seconds. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil.
- Step 7
Blend remaining cornstarch with water and stir it in. When thickened pour sauce over crabs. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve.
Private Notes