Mama Lan's Vietnamese Stir-Fried Crabs

Title:
Mama Lan's Vietnamese Stir-Fried Crabs

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Vietnamese,
Seafood




Ingredients:





    12 lg Male blue crabs, cleaned


          -and halved, with top


          -shells reserved


     2 c  All-purpose flour, seasoned


          -with salt and pepper.


          Vegetable oil for frying


     6 tb Butter


     6 tb Olive oil


     3    Stalks lemongrass, tops


          -discarded, bulbs finely


          -chopped


     4 tb Minced garlic


     3 tb Hot pepper flakes


     3 tb Kosher salt


     3 tb Sugar


     3    Piece fresh ginger peeled


          -and julienned


     1 bn Green onions, chopped


     4    Or 5 fresh serrano chiles,


          -thinly sliced into rounds






 We're seeing more and more of the live Eastern blue crabs out here on


 the West coast.  So far mainly in Asian markets++I have yet to run


 across any at Safeway.  While the Asians are busy furnishing good,


 fresh things to eat at very reasonable prices, Safeway and it's ilk


 are so busy trying to satisfy our banking needs that they don't seem


 to pay much attention to food anymore.


 


 This can be prepared using either the blue guys or the big ol'


 Dungeness crabs.  This reminds me of the first Vietnamese dish I ever


 tried, "Roast Crab" at Thanh Long on Judah street in San Francisco


 years ago. That dish alone won my ever-lasting respect for Vietnamese


 cuisine. It too used butter, though I'm relatively sure it also used


 Chinese fermented black beans for their savory kick and the crab


 wasn't flour coated before frying.


 


 Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour.  In a large skillet heat oil


 to a depth of 1/2 inch.  Add the top shells and fry over fairly high


 heat, turning, until crispy on both sides.  Remove to paper towels to


 drain. Discard the cooking oil.  Return the pan to medium heat and


 add the butter and olive oil. when the butter melts, add the


 lemongrass, garlic and pepper flakes and saute for about 30 seconds.


 Add the crab halves and sprinkle with the salt and sugar.  Stir well.


 Add the ginger, green onions and serrano chiles.  Cook, stirring


 often for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the crab tops, hollow side up, on a


 platter.  Tuck the crab pieces in the shells. Pour all of the pan


 juices over the stuffed shells. Serve at once, with steamed jasmine


 rice and plenty of napkins for messy hands.


 


 Serves 4.


 


 From "The Chesapeake Bay Crab Cookbook", by John Sheilds


 (Aris/Addison- Wesley, 1992).


 


 From the San Francisco Chronicle, 9/2/92.


 


 NOTE:  To convert to Dungeness, three to four blues equal a pound and


 a half of Dungeness crabs.


 


 Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; September 9 1992.


 


 File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/cberg2.zip