Breaded Crab

Breaded Crab

　　Breaded crab is a famous dish from Jiangnan and one of Shanghai’s renowned specialties. In the Shanghai area, June Yellow crabs are commonly used as the main ingredient. The crabs are cut in half, coated in flour, and deep-fried. They are then stir-fried with a batter until well combined.

　　The so-called “June Yellow” crabs, also known as butter crabs, are immature Chinese mitten crabs that are about to molt once more. Their shells are not yet fully hardened, their leg hairs haven’t fully grown, and their roe is more tender, with softer meat — making them even better than mature Chinese mitten crabs. June Yellow crabs are relatively expensive, so if you’re cooking this dish at home on a budget, flower crabs are a delicious and cost-effective alternative. When cooked, they are rich in roe and fat, offering a unique and delightful flavor.

　　Ingredients:

　　Fresh female blue flower crabs (5), minced scallions (½ tbsp), minced ginger (½ tbsp), chopped scallions (1 tbsp), flour (½ cup), oil (1 bowl), salt (⅓ tbsp), Haitian seafood soy sauce (1 tbsp), sugar (¼ tbsp), cooking wine (1 tbsp).

　　Preparation Method:

　　Clean and cut the flower crabs in half; mince the ginger and scallions for later use. Lightly coat the cut sides of the flower crabs with flour and set them aside on a plate. Mix ½ cup of flour with 1 cup of water to make a batter. Heat 1 bowl of oil in a pan. Place the floured cut sides of the crab pieces face down into the hot oil and fry for 30 seconds until the flour sets and firms up. Then put the whole crab pieces into the oil and fry over medium heat until the shells turn red and the crab pieces are golden brown. Remove and drain the oil. Heat 3 tbsp of oil, sauté the minced ginger and scallions until fragrant, then add the fried crab pieces and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp of cooking wine, 1 tbsp of Haitian seafood soy sauce, ¼ tbsp of sugar, and ⅓ tbsp of salt, and stir well to combine. Pour in the batter and quickly stir until the crab pieces are evenly coated with the batter. Serve hot.

　　Coating the cut sides of the crab pieces with flour helps prevent the crab roe from leaking out. First, fry the floured cut sides to seal in the roe and meat, then fry the entire crab piece. Through pan-frying and simmering, the flavors of the crab infuse into the outer batter, resulting in translucent, shiny, red-and-yellow breaded crab pieces that look incredibly appetizing and taste absolutely delicious.