Out of the Blue

Quick Crab & Black Bean Sauce

4 uncooked blue swimmer crabs
2 tablespoons oil
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small fresh red chilli, chopped
2 tbsp black bean sauce
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sake (dry sherry can be substituted)
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp water, extra

METHOD:

To prepare the crab, prise open the shell and remove the intestines and feather-like gills. Rinse if necessary under cold water. Break off the large chippers and cut them in half at the elbow joint. Crack their shells to let in the flavour when cooking. Next cut the crab body section in half, and then cut the legs into three clusters.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Deep-fry the crab pieces a few at a time for 2-3 minutes each, moving pieces so they cook evenly. The nippers may take a little longer. The shells turn red when cooked. Set aside.

Refresh the wok with extra oil in needed and reheat. Then add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli, cook for about 1 minute. Add the black bean sauce, water and sake (or sherry); return the crabs to the wok and coat well with sauce. Blend cornflour with extra water, add to the dish, and cook over rapid heat for 2-3 minutes to thicken sauce.

Place crab pieces in a large serving bowl and spoon the sauce over the crab. Enjoy!