Cantonese Baked Crab with Ginger
« Cantonese Main Dishes | Posted on 04/28/2009 03:20 pm by admin
The crab is interchangeable with lobster.
In a Chinese restaurant, usually only live crab or lobster is used, but ready cooked ones are fine for use at home.
Serves 4
1 large or 2 medium crabs weighing about 750g (1 1/2 lbs) in total
2 tbspns Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tbspn cornflour (cornstarch)
3-4 tbspns vegetable oil
1 tbspn finely chopped root ginger
1 tbspn spring onions, cut into sections
2 tbspns light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
75ml (5 tbspns) Chinese stock See here
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Coriander to garnish
1. Cut the crab in half from the under-belly.
Break off the claws and crack them with the back of a cleaver or large knife.
2. Discard the legs and crack the shell, breaking it into several pieces.
Discard the grey feather like gills (sometimes called dead man’s fingers and are just under the top shell) and stomach sac.
Place the crab in a bowl with the wine, egg and cornflour and leave to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the crab with ginger and spring onions for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the soy sauce, sugar and stock, blend well and bring to the boil.
Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes then remove the cover and sprinkle with sesame oil and serve with coriander to garnish.
Makes 2.5 litres/4 pints/10 cups
750g/1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
750g/1 1/2 lbs pork spare ribs
3.75 litres/6 pints/15 cups cold water
3-4 pieces ginger, crushed
3-4 spring onions (scallions)
3-4 tbspns Chinese rice win/dry sherry
Trim off excess fat from chicken and spare ribs.
Chop them into large pieces.
Place the chicken and pork pieces in a large pan with water.
Add the ginger and spring onions.
Bring to the boil and skim off the scum.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2-3 hours.
Strain the stock, discarding the chicken, pork, ginger and spring oinions.
Add the wine/sherry and return to the boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
When cool, refridgerate for up to 4-5 days.
Alternatively, it can be frozen in small containers and defrosted as required.