Spicy Stir-Fried Crab
A glossy, fiery-red Sichuan specialty: live meat crabs are deep-fried, then braised with dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns for an intensely fragrant, spicy-numbing finish.
Ingredients
Live meat crab (remove innards and gills, chop into pieces)
to taste
Dried chili segments
to taste
Sichuan peppercorns
to taste
Ginger slices
to taste
Garlic slices
to taste
Scallion segments
to taste
Fine salt
to taste
White pepper powder
to taste
Cooking wine
to taste
Dry fine starch (to coat the cut edges of the crab pieces)
to taste
Seafood sauce
to taste
Water starch (original text reads 'water starch')
to taste
Chicken essence
to taste
Sesame oil
to taste
Sichuan peppercorn oil
to taste
Chili oil
to taste
Refined oil
to taste
Stock
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare the Crab
Remove the shell from the underside of the live meat crab, clean out all the innards and gills, cut off the tips of the legs and the edges of the shell, wash clean, then chop the crab into eight pieces. Add a suitable amount of fine salt and cooking wine and mix well.
2
Deep-Fry
Place a wok over high heat and heat refined oil to 50% oil temperature. Coat the cut edges of the crab pieces with dry fine starch, then lower them into the oil and fry until cooked through (the shells will be cooked at the same time).
3
Stir-Fry and Season
Add more oil to a separate wok and heat to 40% oil temperature. Add the dried chili segments and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant, then pour in the stock and let it simmer briefly. Add the ginger, scallions, garlic, and crab, followed by the fine salt, cooking wine, seafood sauce, and chicken essence, and cook for about 2 minutes. Thicken lightly with water starch, then finish with sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorn oil, chili oil, and white pepper powder, toss until evenly coated, and transfer to a serving plate.
