James's Crabs in Black Bean and Chili Sauce
1 c Oil for deep frying
4 Soft shell crabs
2 tb Oil for stir frying
2 tb Salted black beans: rinsed
-in hot water, drained, and
-mashed into a paste
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 ts Ginger root, minced fine
2 Dried red chili peppers,
-tear into small pieces,
-do not discard seeds
1 Scallion, cut into pea-sized
-pieces, including the green
1/2 c Green or red bell pepper,
-chopped
1 1/2 tb Chinese shaohsing wine or
-pale dry sherry
1/2 ts Sugar
1/4 ts Msg (opt.)
2 tb Thin soy sauce
1/4 c Chicken broth, clear
1 ts Cornstarch, mixed with 2t
-cold water
1. Heat 1 cup oil in Wok to deep-fry temp. Add crabs and deep fry until they
turn orange. Drain crabs and discard oil. Clean and dry the Wok. 2. Heat the Wok
over high heat. Swirl in 2 T oil. When oil is hot, add seasonings. Stir fry for
about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and stir fry for about 10 seconds. Stir in
sauce mixture. Put cooked crabs back into Wok. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook
until sauce comes to a boil. Stir in cornstaarch and water. Stir and cook until
sauce is thickened. Put on a serving plate. Serve hot.
NOTE: For a less pungent hot dish, use 1 T salted black beans and 1 dried chili
pepper.When you buy soft shell crabs, be sure they are still alive. Usually they
look quite dead, weak and limp. Touch their legs, eyes, or mouth. Even if they
respond only slightly and slowly, they are still alive. Refrigerate them as soon
as you get home.
Cleaning them is quite simple. Clip off the eyes and mouth. Lift the top shell
and remove the soft feather-like gills and discard them. Turn the crab bottom
up. Tear off and discard the cartlidge. (the shape of the female's is half-oval,
the male's is a narrow triangle).
1784
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