Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 each soft shell crab soft shell
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons black beans salted, in hot water, drained, mashed into a paste
  • 4 each garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger root finely minced
  • 2 each red chili peppers tear into small pieces, do not discard seeds
  • 1 each scallions, spring or green onions cut into pea-sized pieces including the green
  • 1/2 cup green bell peppers or red, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chinese (xiao xiang) wine or pale dry sherry
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate optional
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, light
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth clear
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Method

  • 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.
  • Heat the Wok over high heat.
  • Swirl in 2 tablespoons 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 cornstaarch 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 tablespoon 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 cartlidge.
  • (the shape of the female's is half-oval, the male's is a narrow triangle).