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Salt-and-pepper red crab recipe (cua rang muoi)

Created by Luke Nguyen

6 comments

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Rating:

5/ 5 stars 5 Votes

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Ingredients

2 live crabs (blue swimmer or mud crab), 400g each
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Potato starch, for dusting
3 red Asian shallots, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
3 spring onions (scallions, cut into 5cm lengths)
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced diagonally
Jasmine rice, to serve

Salt-and-pepper seasoning
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp fine white pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp five-spice powder

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Preparation

To make the seasoning, combine all ingredients in a bowl.

To prepare your crabs humanely, place them in the freezer for 1 hour or submerge them in an ice bath for 5 minutes.

Remove the upper shell of the crab, pick off the gills, which look like little fingers, and discard. Clean the crab under running water and drain. Place the crab on its stomach and chop the crab in half with a heavy cleaver.

Next, divide each half into 4 pieces, chopping each piece after each leg.

With the back of the cleaver, gently crack each claw – this makes it easier to extract the meat.

Heat the oil in a wok to 200°C (400°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 5 seconds.

Dust the crab pieces with potato starch, shaking off any excess. Deep-fry the crab in batches for 3 minutes, turning over once, until golden brown.

Remove from the wok and drain on kitchen paper. Remove the oil, reserving 2 tablespoons, and clean the wok.

Heat the reserved oil in the wok, then add the shallots and garlic, and fry until fragrant.

Return the crab to the wok with the spring onion and chilli. Add the salt-and-pepper seasoning to taste.

Serve with jasmine rice and finger bowls.

If you enjoyed this Salt-and-pepper red crab recipe (cua rang muoi) then browse more Vietnamese recipes, seafood recipes, prepare ingredients in advance recipes, nut-free recipes, lactose-free recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.

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Comments (6)

02 Dec 2011 12:41 AEST

Jess

Luke this recipe is our whole familys favourtie.. Thankyou for sharing your fantastic taste and culture.

Agree(1 people agree)

Disagree(0 people disagree)

28 Nov 2011 01:32 AEST

Beth

Hi - I cooked this last night and for some reason I wrote powdered ginger in the salt and pepper mix. I don't know where this came from but it was still unbelievably yummy - thanks Luke!!!!

Agree(0 people agree)

Disagree(0 people disagree)

18 Mar 2011 09:19 AEST

Chris & Roger

Charlestown

Salt & pepper Crab - excellent!

Cooked this for 6 people for my birthday and it was amazing! Great recipe, not too hard and so fabulously tasty! Thanks Luke

Agree(3 people agree)

Disagree(0 people disagree)

30 Jan 2011 09:14 AEST

adam

Hi Luke,with out sounding like a crazy stalker,since we all love your shows,do you think you would ever do a food tour of vietnam,to show us the non tourist side and real food...

Agree(14 people agree)

Disagree(0 people disagree)

29 Jan 2011 01:24 AEST

Sue

Luke, every week you inspire me, and sometimes freak me out, but your cooking and presentation to viewers is awesome, thank you, I am trying the crab tonight so look forward to a taste sensation

Agree(4 people agree)

Disagree(1 people disagree)

28 Jan 2011 11:47 AEST

Anne De Blasio

This is a great way to cook pippies as they are nice and tastie I have been to Vietnam and all the food is Greatand we are going back soon to Nang TRang

Agree(3 people agree)

Disagree(0 people disagree)

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