Chili Crab

Sauce:
½ cup water
½ cup ketchup (try to get lo-sugar) or 1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili flakes or 1 small chopped chili (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp splenda

Cooking:

About 1 kg of live crab (2-3 lbs) or half that weight dressed.
1 tbsp of peanut or olive oil
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
grated ginger to taste
1 chopped hot chili to taste
1 sliced medium onion
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
¼ cup water


Pre-cook crab in boiling water (did you ever see that cartoon of the
two giant lobsters by the cooking tureen, throwing a guy and his girl
into the boiling water - caption: "that high-pitched noise is just the
air escaping!")

Divide crab into appropriate portions, cracking legs and claws with
the back of a heavy knife. Set aside.

Mix sauce ingredients, set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or heavy pan and stir-fry onion and chili. Add
ginger and garlic, fry briefly. I often add some chopped celery or
carrots or greens at this stage as a variation.

Add the crab and stir-fry for two minutes then add sauce and stir
while heating for another five minutes or until crab is heated
through.

Mix cornflour and water and add to the pan. Cook and stir until the
sauce is set and ready to serve.

Serve as is or with basmati rice if carbs are OK. Supply damp towels
for diners - they will need them. This is not a dish to serve to a
food snob who doesn't use their fingers.

You can separate the crab-meat out before cooking; but in that case
make sure you still put some of the shell into the wok when
stir-frying for the flavour that infuses into the sauce. Then you can
remove the shell before serving for the more "genteel" diners.

Bon Appetit.


Cheers Alan, T2, Australia.
--
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.