Ginger and Scallion Crab (Best Chinese Recipe) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

How to cook crabs in a wok? ›

Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the crab pieces, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and shake crabs around, then replace lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until the shells turn orange and the meat is cooked through.

Fill the pot 3/4 full with water, and bring to a rolling boil over an intense flame. Add blue crabs, cover the pot, and boil until all of the shells turn red, and the meat is no longer translucent, about 20 minutes. Stir the crabs occasionally as they boil to ensure even cooking.

Cooking & Serving Tips

Place live crab in boiling salted water and cook for 18-20 minutes (after the water returns to a boil), turning the shell bright orange. Immerse in cold water to cool before cleaning. Fresh Whole-Cooks can be served chilled or heated in a steamer, broiler or oven for 4 to 5 minutes.

Why do you use vinegar when cooking crabs? Vinegar is commonly added to the water when steaming crabs. It reduces the boiling point of the water so the crabs steam more quickly, and is also said to help the crab come out of the shell more easily.

Steaming crabs is a great way to preserve the natural juices and flavors of the crabs. You'll still need a large pot, but you'll need to bring about an inch of salted water to a boil. Use a steamer basket or insert to steam the crabs.

Prepping The Crabs

You'll want to cook the crabs before you clean them. Boiling is more common, but steaming crabs emerge from the pot less water-logged and more filled with their own crabby juices. To Boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt so it tastes as salty as the ocean.

Bring liquid to a simmer and add crabs headfirst to water. Cook the 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs about 15 minutes, and the 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes. Strain cooked crabs into a colander and rinse briefly under cool water.

“Steaming is a great way to maximize sweetness as well as texture for the delicate, lush meat. Sometimes when boiling you run the risk of overcooking, and it can be difficult to extract meat if done improperly. By steaming the shell, it acts as an oven, allowing the crabmeat to cook in its natural juices.

Steaming crab legs on the stovetop takes just 6 to 8 minutes. Warming in the oven requires more time, but the cook time is only 15 to 20 minutes. No matter how you decide to warm crab legs, do not overcook or the crab meat will be tough and dry.

Add enough ice to pot to bring temperature down and stop cooking process. Cover and let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour (the longer the soak, the spicier the crabs will be). Remove corn and potatoes from pot and place in large bowl to serve. Serve crabs on large platter.

What sauce to eat with crab? ›

Crab meat should smell a bit sweet; if it has a strong, fishy, sour odor––it's time to toss it. The shelf-life in a fridge is 3 to 5 days and in the freezer is 6 to 9 months. Whole cooked crab that is frozen can last from 9 to 12 months.

Dungeness crab has a sweet and delicate flavor with a slightly nutty undertone, and its meat is known for being tender. They are smaller than king crabs and have less meat per crab, but the meat is highly valued. King crab has a sweeter and richer flavor with a firm, meaty texture.

“Steaming is a great way to maximize sweetness as well as texture for the delicate, lush meat. Sometimes when boiling you run the risk of overcooking, and it can be difficult to extract meat if done improperly. By steaming the shell, it acts as an oven, allowing the crabmeat to cook in its natural juices.

Steam the Crab

Place the crab into a wok or skillet with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Cover and steam just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well and wipe out the pan.

Add the crabs and toss them around the wok briefly. Add the sauce and toss the crabs around the sauce and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling cover the wok and let everything simmer for around 10-15 minutes. Once this is done, if the crabs are bright orange then you are done.

In the world of cleaning animals, crab guts are pretty innocuous. Rinse them out under cool running water. You now have a fully cleaned crab.