Ginger crab
Summer is days away, and it’s time for fresh foods! As much as I love hearty fall/winter cooking, as soon as it gets warmer, I start to crave fresh, citrusy, and bright flavors. And this recipe is that girl!
With a fresh, sweet crab flavor and aroma at the forefront, backed up by a fiery and spicy kick of ginger and black pepper, this crab recipe epitomizes the fundamentals of quick and easy pan-Asian sauce making and flash cooking. And serves summer on a platter. 🦀
Let’s get to cooking!
Prep:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 min, including steaming crab.
Ingredients:
3-5 lb crab legs (substitute with any seafood)
1 bunch scallion, chopped into 1 inch wide pieces
1 cup ginger julliened
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp coarse cracked black pepper
3 tbsp teaspoons cornstarch
3 tbsp canola/vegetable oil
2 tbsp Mirin/rice wine
Recipe:
Steaming the crab:
Some boil the crab, but I prefer to steam it. Either works, but steamed cooking is more controlled and less intense than boiling.
Pro tip: Season the water with salt, lemon wedges, and bay leaves(optional) to enhance the crab's clean flavor.
Snow crab legs are often sold fully cooked and frozen, so you only need to steam them for 7 minutes if you’re using fresh, raw crab, steam for about 10 minutes or until you can smell the crab.
Take the crab off the steamer and let the excess water drip off. Do not run it under cold water; you will lose all that crabby flavor. Use a scissor to cut the crab legs into 2 inch strips. And the back of the scissor’s handle to crack the claws and knuckles. Set aside the crab in a bowl.
If you’re using other seafood, such as squid or shrimp, you can skip this step altogether.
Preparing the sauce:
While the crab is streaming, let’s start preparing the sauce. Heat the oil on high in a wok or wide skillet until it starts to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the ginger and the bottom white portion of the scallions. Toss continually and cook for 1 minute. This step infuses the ginger and scallion flavor into your oil to form the base of your sauce.
Pro tip: Good wok cooking involves a very high temperature and quick flash cooking to impart sear and flavor.
Add the oyster sauce, Mirin/rice wine, and coarsely cracked pepper into the wok and stir until mixed evenly for about 30 seconds. Throw in the crab legs, tossing and stirring to combine it with the sauce. Cook covered for a minute. (If you’re using raw seafood proteins, cook uncovered until cooked). Remove the lid and sprinkle the cornstarch or mix it in 1/2 cup of water before stirring it in with the crab, depending on how dry you want your sauce.
Pro tip: Cornstarch is a very common thickening agent used in Asian cooking. Starches in general, even flour, help thicken a sauce. Cornstarch does not dissolve in water and settles to the bottom. So, make sure to stir/whisk it before adding it to the sauce.
Either way, stir/toss continuously until your sauce has thickened to the right consistency. It should not take more than 1 minute.
In the last 30 seconds or so of the cooking, throw in the leafy stalk of the scallions and some more cracked pepper to taste.
To serve, strain out the crab onto a wide platter and pour the remaining sauce over it. Serve with rice. Enjoy!
