Wine-Marinated Crab
In the ninth month, select fat crabs, wash and air-dry them, then place them in a mixture of wine vinegar blended with salt and alum. Add Sichuan peppercorns, seal, and store.
Ingredients
Crabs (pick the plump ones, in the ninth lunar month)
10 × 500 g
Roasted salt
1 × 500 g + 4 liang
Good clear alum powder
1 liang 5 qian
Good vinegar wine (blended with the salt and alum)
5 × 500 g
Sichuan peppercorns (one per crab)
1
Instructions
1
Step 1
First wash the crabs clean, seal them in a loosely woven bamboo basket, and hang them in a well-ventilated spot for half a day or a full day, until the crabs are thoroughly dry.
2
Step 2
Take five jin of good vinegar wine and mix it together with the salt and alum. Submerge the crabs in this mixture, let them steep for a long while, then take them out.
3
Step 3
For each crab, pry open the navel and tuck one peppercorn inside. Pack the crabs tightly into a porcelain jar for storage, then scatter additional peppercorns over the top.
4
Step 4
Wrap the mouth of the jar with patterned paper, place a bean-sized pellet of shao powder on top, tie it with bamboo leaves, and seal it firmly with clay. When opening the jar, do not let any lamplight fall on the contents.
