Teochew cold crab
潮州冻蟹 Cháozhōu dòng xiè: Chaozhou steamed crab served chilled with ginger vinegar
Chilled crab sounds strange until you taste it at a Teochew banquet in Chaozhou, where it comes as a cold starter alongside braised goose and marinated seafood. Steaming the crab whole and then chilling it firms the flesh and brings out its natural sweetness, which a plain dish lets you taste clearly; the roe in a female crab turns rich and almost creamy. All it needs is a sharp ginger vinegar to cut through. Serve it as a starter before hot dishes, with crab crackers, small forks and plenty of napkins. Chef's tip: steam it belly side up, so the juices stay inside the shell instead of running out onto the plate. Allow at least 2 hours' chilling on top of the cooking time.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the crab
- 2 ⅝ lb live mud crabs or flower crabs2 crabs of about 600 g, bought live the day you cook
- ⅔ oz fresh gingersliced
For the ginger vinegar
- ¼ cup rice vinegarChinese red rice vinegar if you can find one that lists only rice
- 1 oz fresh gingervery finely chopped
- 2 tsp sugar
To serve
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Buy only crabs that are alive and lively, and cook them the same day. Crab that has died before cooking spoils very quickly, so do not use it. Put the live crabs in the freezer for 20–30 minutes to make them sleepy and calm before handling.
25 minStep 2: Hold each 2 ⅝ lb live mud crabs or flower crabs firmly at the back of the shell and scrub it all over, including the joints, with a stiff brush under cold running water.
Step 3: Lay the crabs belly side up on a heatproof plate and scatter over ⅔ oz fresh ginger. Put the plate in a steamer or on a rack in a wok over boiling water.
Step 4: Cover and steam over a high heat for 15–18 minutes for 600 g crabs, until the whole shell is bright red-orange and the meat in a leg joint is white and opaque all the way through, not translucent. Undercooked crab is not safe to eat cold.
18 minStep 5: Lift the crabs onto a rack and let them cool for 15–20 minutes, just until they stop steaming; don't leave them out longer.
20 minStep 6: Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly cold. Cooked crab must go in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking, and should be eaten within 24 hours.
120 minStep 7: Shortly before serving, stir ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 oz fresh ginger and 2 tsp sugar until the sugar dissolves. A common mistake is making this hours ahead; the ginger loses its bite.
Step 8: Twist off the claws and legs, lift off the top shell (keep any roe), pull away and discard the feathery gills and the stomach sac behind the mouth, and cut the body into four with a heavy knife. Crack the claws with the back of the knife.
Step 9: Arrange the pieces on a cold plate with the top shell back on for show, garnish with coriander and serve straight from the fridge with the ginger vinegar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does teochew cold crab take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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