Chile Crab Food

GARLIC AND CHILE ROASTED DUNGENESS CRABS

Steps:

• Fill a large stockpot two-thirds full of water. Add enough salt so that the water tastes like seawater. Add half of the sliced lemon and the reserved peels from the garlic and onion, and bring to a boil. Plunge the crabs in the water, in batches if necessary, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the crabs from the stockpot and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• When the crabs are cool enough to handle, remove the top shell and apron and discard. Remove the gills and any transparent cartilage and scrape out any crab fat and rinse crabs under cool running water. Place crabs, bottom side down, on a cutting board and halve lengthwise with a heavy knife.
• Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, the minced garlic, onions, butter, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and black pepper in a large roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven on the lowest rack, and bake, stirring occasionally, until onions and garlic are golden, about 8 minutes. (Do not allow the garlic to burn.) Remove the pan from the oven and add the crab pieces and mix thoroughly so that the crabs are well coated with the garlic and butter mixture. Return the pan to the oven and bake, stirring occasionally, until the crabs are heated through and the garlic mixture is braised onto the shells, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the chopped parsley or cilantro, and serve hot.

CHILE CRAB

Steps:

• For the juice:
• Heat the water in a small pan and add the ginger pieces. Bring to the boil, add the rock sugar, and let the juice simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, before serving.
• For the sauce:
• Add the water, ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch, to a bowl, and mix well. Set aside.
• For the crab:
• Heat a wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the crab to the wok and stir-fry for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chile sauce, and cook for 1 minute, then add the water and lime juice.
• For the egg noodles:
• Combine the noodles and the chile flakes and adjust their seasonings with the soy sauce. Toss the ingredients, and then stir in half of the spring onions and half of the chopped cilantro.
• To serve, plate the crab with the egg noodles and top with the remaining spring onion slices and cilantro. Serve immediately with a shot glass of Ginger 'Juice.'

CHILI CRAB

Steps:

• In a casserole or large pot of boiling salted water, add the crabs and cook them for about 1 minute, or until no longer moving. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• To clean the crabs pull off top shells; pull and twist off each apron; remove gills. With sharp knife cut crabs into quarters, rinse and drain.
• In mortor and pestle or small food processor pound or process chiles, garlic, shallots and ginger with a little oil if necessary.
• Combine all sauce ingredients.
• Heat a wok over moderately high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until hot. Add chili and garlic paste and stir-fry 1 minute. Add crabs and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until shells turn red. Add sauce ingredients, bring to boil and simmer, covered, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer crabs to serving dish.
• Bring sauce in wok to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to wok. Simmer until thickened. Gradually add eggs in a stream, whisking, and cook for 1 minute. Pour sauce over crabs and garnish with scallion.

SINGAPORE-STYLE CHILI CRABS

Steps:

• Pull the main shell off the crab and discard it. Remove the gray gills and the soft insides. Cut the body in half and then cut between each leg. Crack the legs and claws with the back of the knife or a hammer and set aside.
• In a bowl mix the ketchup, chili paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and tamarind paste; thin it with 1/4 cup water and set aside. Pour the oil into a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the scallion, ginger, garlic, 1/2 the chile, and cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Add the crab and stir-fry for another minute. Pour in the sauce and continue cooking, stirring often, until the crab has absorbed the sauce and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Put onto a platter and garnish with the rest of the chile and cilantro. Serve with plenty of napkins!

SINGAPORE CHILE CRABS

Steps:

• Blend garlic, ginger, dried chile, dried shrimp in a blender to form a smooth paste.
• Stir-fry the paste in 30 tbsp of hot corn oil til fragrant.
• Transfer to a deep bowl.
• Clean crabs and cut each into 4-6 pieces.
• Crack the claws with a pestle.
• Stir-fy 10 tsp of minced garlic in 20 tbsp of hot corn oil till fragrant.
• Add crabs and stir-fry for about 10 minute.
• Cover and cook for another minute.
• Uncover and stir briskly once more.
• Add in 1/2 cup of water, light soya sauce and 20 tbsp of the paste.
• Stir well and cover for 10 minutes.
• Thicken the gravy with 10 tbsp of cornflour solution.
• Whip egg and stir into the chilli crabs and bring to a boil.
• Serve with rice or bread.

CHILLI CRAB

Steps:

• If crabs live, put in freezer for 10 minutes to stun.
• Remove back shell and clean spongy bits and brown stuff, clean in water.
• Cut in half lengthwise.
• Remove claws from body and hit with blunt side of a cleaver to crack in several places.
• Cut the halves into two or three pieces leaving legs attached.
• Pound ginger and chili until they form a paste, or zap in the food processor or blender.
• Mix soy sauce, sugar, water (or stock), tomato sauce and chili sauce (if using) in a small jug.
• Put oil in a large hot pan or wok and over a medium heat fry ginger/chili mix for a few minutes.
• Add the crab pieces and stir fry at a higher heat till crab pieces turn red.
• Add liquid mixture and bring back up to the boil, add sesame oil, lower heat to medium and cover with lid for a few minutes giving the occasional stir.
• Garnish with sliced spring onion.
• Don't forget the finger bowls and a bowl in the middle for the shells and lots of paper serviettes/napkins.