Eat & Drink
Originally published on Tuesday, 18th March 2008
Stir Fried Pepper Crab
Serves 1-2
In Cambodia they use black peppercorns from the plantations at Kampot which are so fresh they are still attached to the stem. Fresh peppercorns are much milder than dried, so don't be nervous about the quantity I've put in this recipe. Asian food shops in London such as the New Loon Moon Supermarket on Gerrard St usually have fresh green peppercorns on the stem which would also work fine here. Otherwise, just double the amount of dried, ground pepper in the recipe.
Ingredients
1 kilo of live crabs, ideally aim for smaller crabs the size of your hand
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 a medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
a handful of fresh green or black peppercorns on the stem
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper, ideally coarsely ground
1 tsp sugar
a ladleful of water
1 handful of spring onions, green parts only cut into 2 inch segments
Instructions
To kill and clean the crabs, put them in a large bowl and cover with ice water for about 5 minutes to calm them. Remove a crab (it is better to do this one at a time) and place it belly side up on a chopping board. You may want to wear gloves or finger protection if the claws are not banded.
Find the point just above the top point of triangular belly flap. Place a sharp knife tip or a metal skewer over this point. Working quickly, press sharply downwards to pierce the crab's shell and insert the knife or skewer into the crap. Leave the knife or skewer in for a count of approximately 10 seconds. The crab will die nearly instantly. Remove the knife or skewer and tear off the triangular belly flap by twisting it sideways until it snaps off.
Place the crab face down and strike the base of the crab's top shell or 'lid' forcefully a few times with the base of your palm until you hear the cracking of the top shell loosening. Remove the top shell and discard it along with the feathery gills.
Rinse away any orange and yellow spongy material (these are the eggs and fat deposits) with your fingers under cold running water. Alternatively you can keep these and add them during the last few minutes of cooking for extra richness as they are quite delicious! Chop the bodies in half or in quarters depending on the size of your crabs. Crack the claws by smashing them a few times with the side of a cleaver. This will allow the sauce to penetrate the shells better. Repeat with the remaining crabs and set aside until ready to use.
Heat the oil in a wok or large, wide sauté pan until smoking hot. Add half the sliced onion along with the garlic and tomato paste and saute briefly for about one minute, moving around constantly with a wok ladle or a wooden spoon. Add the crabs and the peppercorns and stir-fry for a further minute. Add the oyster sauce, pepper and sugar and toss the crab until it is well coated in the mixture, then add the ladleful of water.
Cover the wok or pan with a lid and leave the crabs to cook for 3 minutes (or longer if using larger crabs). Remove the lid and stir the crabs around. Cook the crabs for a further minute until the sauce is thick and glossy and coats the crabs. Add the other half of the onion slices and the spring onion and toss over the heat for a further minute. Remove from the heat and serve.
Jennifer Klinec from Eat Drink Talk has kindly agreed to provide Urban Junkies readers with mouthwatering recipes and foodtips.
To learn more, classes at Eat Drink Talk are held in Jennifer's beautiful loft in Clerkenwell, packed with information and useful tips, and you'll get to sample all of the delicious dishes prepared during class.