Crispy Fried Crab Claws
A classic Cantonese specialty: crab claws coated in a light batter and deep-fried until golden and crisp, with a tender, savory filling.
Ingredients
Mud crab (killed, claws removed)
6 (each about 300g)
Crab meat (picked out and set aside)
50g
Shrimp paste
100g
Crispy batter
180g
Peanut oil (about 150g consumed)
1000g
Instructions
1
Prepare the Crab Claws
Kill the crabs and remove the claws. Blanch in boiling water for about 10 minutes until just cooked, then take the front sections. Lightly tap the claw shells with the flat of a knife. Pick out the meat, leaving the tip of the claw shell and the fan-shaped bone inside intact (about 12.5g filling per claw), and reshape the claw. Arrange on a plate and steam over high heat for about 3 minutes until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
2
Fry the Crab Claws
Heat a wok over medium heat, add the peanut oil and heat to about 60% hot. Remove the wok from the heat. Holding each claw by the shell tip, dip it into the crispy batter, then lower it vertically into the oil one at a time. Return the wok to the heat and fry until pale golden and crisp. Remove and arrange on a plate in a circle, with the claw tips pointing toward the edge of the plate.
