Sweet and Sour Crabs

Recently, I came across live crabs in the high street!

This is truly a rare occasion as this is t the first time I have ever come across live crabs in the UK. I know one can get it in Birmingham China Town. But Hinckley, it is like finding gold.

So  yours truly bought 2 live crabs to make Sweet and Sour Crab. The problem is to prepare the crab ( I do not want to use the ‘K’ word).

Actually it is quite easy.

So here is the recipe.

I have prepared this dish with added vegetables. This will give a balanced meal having this dish alone and there is no need to have another vegetable dish.- so you can concentrate on enjoying the dish.

Serves 4-6
Level of difficulty: Difficult – preparing the live crab
Cost: £££
Time: 30 mins prepare, 20 mins to cook,

Ingredients

2                  Medium live crabs – about 1.6kg
1                   Onion – sliced
10-12        Cherry tomatoes or 2 regular tomatoes cut into wedges
3 cloves   Garlic – chopped
3 cm         Fresh ginger – shredded
4                 Spring onions, sliced diagonally
50g           Or about ½ carrot – shredded

Sauce
250ml      Tomato ketchup
2 tbsp       Lea & Perrin Sauce
1 tbsp       Sugar or to taste
1 tbsp      Vinegar or to taste
1-2 tsp    Salt or to taste
1-2 tbsp   Corn flour for thickening

White Pepper powder

Cooking oil

Garnish
Fresh coriander and chopped spring onion

Method

How to prepare the Crab:
You will need:
Chopstick or a thin wooden stake
Hammer or a heavy knife or cleaver

1. Locate the flap underneath the crab. This is the one that shows whether the crab is a male or female.
2. Turn the crap upside down and with a quick stroke, push/knock the chopstick /stake at the tip of the flap and through to the shell of the crab.
3. Let the crab stop moving.

To clean the Crab:

1. With a towel wrap around the legs, pull the legs and the body apart from the shell.
2. Remove the inedible part of the crab like lungs, etc. If you see the crab roe – which is pink, the roe can be eaten.
3. Then wash the crab shell and all with a soft brush or dish washing brush.
4. Rinse and drain and cut the body into 4 pieces.
5. With a hammer or cleaver, gently crack the claws and some of the legs so that the flavour can be absorbed when cooking. It will also make it easier to eat.

To cook the Crab

1. Heat a large Wok or deep pan with 1 tbsp of oil.
2. Add in the ginger, onion and garlic and gently fry till it colours.
3. Add in the crab and toss until it is thoroughly mixed and the vegetables are soft.
4. Add in the sauce ingredients and about 350 ml of water. Bring to the boil.
5. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Stir and add in the tomatoes spring onions.
7. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
8. Adjust taste and add extra water if it is a bit too dry.
9. Thicken the sauce with some corn flour mixture.
10. Dish out and serve.
11. Don’t forget to have lots of napkins and hammer and nut cracker to do the digging!
12. Enjoy!