Kitchen Table Recipe and Ideas Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab with Chinese Black Bean Sauce
Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab with Chinese Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients 6 medium Chesapeake Blue crabs (cleaned) 1 ½ tablespoons Chinese salted black beans sauce Lee Kum Kee 2 tablespoons Kikkoman rice wine 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 2 scallions, chopped ½ teaspoon Thai red chili peppers 1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce ¼ teaspoon sugar ½ cup chicken stock 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water (slurry) 1 teaspoon Kikkoman sesame oil 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Preparation Pat the crabs dry with paper towels and set aside. Add black beans sauce and combine with the rice wine, garlic, ginger and scallions. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the hot pepper flakes, soy sauce, sugar and chicken stock. Set aside. Heat the peanut or vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet and add the crabs. Stir fry for about three minutes over medium heat. Add the black-bean mixture and continue stir-frying for about one minute. Add the soy-sauce mixture, stir and bring to boil. Cover the pan and cook for two minutes. Then add the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Correct seasoning (you may wish to add more soy sauce or pepper) and add the sesame oil. Remove from heat and place on heated plates. Sprinkle with Cilantro and serve.
