Kitchen Recipe Collection
Ginger and Scallion Crab (Cong Jiang Chao Xie)
A messy, glorious, hands-on feast. Chopped fresh crab is flash-fried to seal in the juices, then wok-tossed in a fragrant sauce overloaded with fresh ginger and scallions.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 2 large live Dungeness crabs or Mud crabs
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Oil for shallow frying
- 1 massive knob of ginger (about 4 inches), peeled and thickly julienned
- 8 stalks scallions, cut into 3-inch sections
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Equipment
- Large wok
- Heavy cleaver for chopping crab
Instructions
- 1
Clean Crab
Kill and clean the crab. Remove the carapace (top shell), gills, and apron. Chop the body into quarters. Crack the large claws with the back of a cleaver so the sauce can penetrate.
- 2
Coat Crab
Dust the exposed meat of the chopped crab pieces heavily with cornstarch. This seals the meat and creates a crust for the sauce to cling to.
- 3
Heat Oil
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wok to 375°F (190°C).
- 4
Flash-fry Crab
Fry the crab pieces in batches for 2 minutes until the shells turn bright red and the exposed meat is golden and sealed. Remove and drain.
- 5
Clear Wok
Pour out the frying oil, leaving exactly 2 tbsp in the wok.
- 6
Fry Aromatics
Add the mountain of julienned ginger and minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until highly fragrant and slightly golden.
- 7
Return Crab
Toss the fried crab pieces back into the wok.
- 8
Deglaze
Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edges of the wok.
- 9
Add Liquids
Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Toss well.
- 10
Cover and Steam
Cover the wok for 2-3 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the crab through.
- 11
Add Scallions
Remove the lid. Throw in the massive pile of scallions.
- 12
Final Toss
Toss everything together over high heat for 1 minute until the scallions are just wilted and the sauce has reduced to coat the crab. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- The amount of ginger and scallion might seem excessive, but they are the stars of the dish and are meant to be eaten along with the crab.
- Cracking the claws before cooking is essential, both for flavor penetration and so guests don't need tools at the table.
Variations
- Ginger Scallion Lobster: This exact preparation is commonly used for whole chopped lobster at Chinese banquets.
Nutrition Estimate
340 calories · 28g protein · 12g carbs · 18g fat · 2g fiber per serving
