Soft Shell Crabs In Black Bean and Chili Sauce

Recipe Ingredients

1 cup	237ml	Oil for deep frying
4		Soft shell crabs
2 tablespoons	30ml	Oil for stir frying
		Seasonings (put In Bowl
2 tablespoons	30ml	Salted black beans: rinsed - in hot water, drained
		Into a paste
4		Garlic cloves - minced
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Ginger root - minced fine
2		Dried red chili peppers - tear into small pieces
		Not discard seeds
1		Scallion - cut into pea-sized
		Including the green
1/2 cup	73g / 2.6oz	Green or red bell pepper - chopped
		Sauce Mixture (mix In Bowl
1 1/2 tablespoons	22ml	Chinese Shao Hsing wine or - pale dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Sugar
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Msg - (opt.)
2 tablespoons	30ml	Thin soy sauce
1/4 cup	59ml	Chicken broth - clear
1 teaspoon	5ml	Cornstarch - mixed with 2t
		Water

Recipe Instructions

1. Heat 1 cup oil in Wok to deep-fry temp. Add crabs and deep fry until they turn orange. Drain crabs and discard oil. Clean and dry the Wok.

2. Heat the Wok over high heat. Swirl in 2 T oil. When oil is hot, add seasonings. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and stir fry for about 10 seconds. Stir in sauce mixture. Put cooked crabs back into Wok. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook until sauce comes to a boil. Stir in cornstarch and water. Stir and cook until sauce is thickened. Put on a serving plate. Serve hot.

NOTE: For a less pungent hot dish, use 1 T salted black beans and 1 dried chili pepper.

When you buy soft shell crabs, be sure they are still alive. Usually they look quite dead, weak and limp. Touch their legs, eyes, or mouth. Even if they respond only slightly and slowly, they are still alive. Refrigerate them as soon as you get home. Cleaning them is quite simple. Clip off the eyes and mouth. Lift the top shell and remove the soft feather-like gills and discard them. Turn the crab bottom up. Tear off and discard the cartilage. (the shape of the female's is half-oval, the male's is a narrow triangle).

Source:
Diana Gonzalez Kirby

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