Typhoon Shelter Fried Crab 避風塘炒蟹
You can also use this recipe for lobster and prawns.I also added salted egg yolk to this dish. Although it’s optional, I find that it not only gives it more flavour, I helps the garlic and onion pieces stick to the crab. I used some spicy egg yolk paste from a jar plus 4 whole salted egg yolks.Another optional item is Thai basil. I love deep-fried Thai basil. It gives this dish a subtle earthy flavour which goes extremely well with salted egg yolk, chilis and garlic!
Approximate cost (CAD) $25
Ingredients
- 1 Whole fresh crab
- 1 tbsp Salt for soaking crab
- 10 g Fresh Thai basil leaves (approx. 20 leaves) (optional)
- 85 g Deep-fried garlic bits
- 1 tbsp Spicy salted egg yolk paste (optional)
- 4 Salted egg yolks (optional), chopped
- 2 Thai chilis , chopped
- 1 Jalepeno chili , chopped
- 4 Stalks green onions , chopped
- 3 tbsp Corn starch
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 2 tsp Fish sauce (optional)
- ½ tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1.5 L Oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- Steps 1-17 is for how to process a live crab
- Soak crab in enough water to cover its beak and add 1 tbsp of salt for 30 minutes.
Salt water will help the crab spit out any unwanted residue (sand and other impurities) 
- Rinse with water and scrub the shell with a brush
- Flip the crab on its top shell
- Use a sharp pointy knife and insert above the abdominal flap without going through the top shell (or carapace)
I believe that this is the most humane way of killing the crab 
- Make sure that the crab is no longer moving then pull down the abdominal flap (aka apron) and remove
- Remove the top shell by prying it open with your fingers from the back (opposite side from the eyes)
- Use kitchen shears to remove the beak area
- Use kitchen shears to remove the gills
- Use kitchen shears to cut off some of the hairs on the rim of the top shell
- Cut off the tip of each leg
- Flip the crab over and cut from the abdomen to the posterior of the crab. Make another cut to the anterior so that the crab is now cut in half
- Remove the leg with the claws and cut off the claw
- Cover these pieces in a damp cloth and hit it with the side of a cleaver or a rubber mallet to break the shell
these are the parts with the hardest shell 
- Take one half side of the crab, place it on your cutting board so that the legs are up. Make a cut so that 2 legs are together. Repeat for the other half
- Use a large bowl of water to clean the top shell. Gently fill it with water and pour it out making sure that the crab “mustard” aka hepatopancreas aka crab brains (in female crabs, there are roe as well) doesn’t come out
- Rinse all the other parts in running water and then let dry in the colander or pat dry with kitchen towels
- Take approximately 3 tbsp of corn starch and lightly coat all the pieces of crab
- Heat 1.5L oil in a wok or pot
- Prepare chopped chilis, green onions
- Add Thai basil leaves to the oil when the oil is at approx. 120˚C or 250˚F
- Remove Thai basil from oil when it has crisped up When you lift it up from the oil, it can keep its shape. As it cools, it will further harden
- When the oil gets to 175,C or 350˚F, add the crab to the oil
- Cook for approx. 3 minutes or until it turns to a golden color and remove from oil
- In another wok, add 3 tbsp oil, chopped salted egg yolk, ½ tsp sugar and salted egg yolk paste. Stir-fry until foamy. Cook on medium-high heat
- Add chilis and fried garlic, mix well
- Add green onions, mix well
- Add crab, mix well
- Taste test. Add salt and/or some fish sauce if you need it saltier
Sometimes the salted egg yolk paste is quite salty already, depends on the brand - Add deep-fried Thai basil and toss in the wok one last time
- Plate and serve