Chinese Drunken Crab Recipe
Drunken crab is a delicious food created by the combination of wine and crab. Eating steamed crabs and drunken crabs are two different eating realms and delicious experiences. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the great scholar Tu Benfu once wrote the poem “Praise of Drunken Crabs”: “When you are drunk, you wake me up. When you are dazed, it makes people bright. Drink again and get drunk again, raise a glass and hold a crab. This is called a crab. Get drunk, get rid of my glutinous rice.”
In the heart of the old gluttonous scholar Wang Zengqi, drunken crab is the best delicacy in the world. From the golden crab season of “navel in September and October sharp” every year, all the way to May of next year, if there are no drunken crabs on the table of Shanghai people, this day seems to be a little less interesting. It can be seen that from ancient times to the present, Chinese feeling and cognition of drunken crabs is not only a simple love but also a feeling of love to the bones.
Chinese Drunken Crab
The Chinese drunken crab that is properly drunk is like a fine work of art, the color is golden yellow, and it is lifelike when placed on the plate. For each fully drunken crab, its crab meat has turned into a white and raw frozen state, and it is still glowing like a jade. Break off a crab leg and take a sip. The crab meat is delicious and the wine is rich in aroma. , the fragrance is sweet. When the crab shell is opened again, the cream also condenses into a full and thick, greasy orange-red color. It melts as soon as you enter the mouth. If you eat it with a bowl of boiling rice at this time, it is delicious and indescribable. This delicious memory is the enjoyment and beauty rooted in the hearts of every old Shanghainese, making people sigh the happiness of life.If like other stemed dish, you can try our steamed abalone recipe.
Let s make the drunk crab by following our detailed guide. If you like to watch the detailed recipe video, you can watch it below.
How To Make Chinese Drunken Crab Recipe
Step 1: Cut Ginger
Firstly, prepare 50g of ginger. Cut it into slices. Save for later.
Cut Ginger
Step 2: Prepare Sauce
Next, prepare spices including 15 Sichuan peppercorns, 2 star anise, 1 Chinese cinnamon, 4 bay leaves. Then pour the spices and ginger slices into the pot. And stir-fry until fragrant. Then pour in 400ml of light soy sauce. When it boils, pour in 320g of rock sugar and 600ml of Huadiao cooking wine. Then pour 200ml of water into the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes. Then let the sauce cool down after turning off the heat.
Prepare Sauce
Step 3: Boil Water
Next, pour 2L of water to the pot. Then put in the steaming rack. Cover the lid. And let the water boil.
Boil Water
Step 4: Clean Crabs
While the water is boiling, put the fresh crabs in the clear water .I bought 8 crabs. When buying crabs, we have to buy these fresh ones, because dead crabs have toxins. Use a brush to clean the crabs one by one. The crabs I bought in the market did not have their feet bound. When brushing, be careful not to get your fingers pinched by the crab feet.
Clean Crabs
Step 5: Steam The Crabs
When all crabs are cleaned, put them on the steaming rack in order. And then cover the lid. Move quickly, or the crabs will escape. Then turn on high heat. And steam for 15 minutes until the crabs are completely cooked.
Steam The Crabs
Step 6: Soak The Crabs
Now, pour the cooled sauce into a large plate and use a skimmer spoon to remove the spices. Then soak the steamed crabs in the sauce in turn.
Soak The Crabs
Then cut a lemon into slices. Put them on the top. Then seal with food cling wrap. And then refrigerate it for 24 hours. After refrigerating for 24 hours, the crabs have been fully soaked and tasted. And they can be eaten at this time. The Chinese drunken crab recipe is done. Hope you can enjoy it!
Chinese Drunken Crab Recipe
FAQ
What Is Drunken Crab?
Drunken crab is a Chinese traditional famous dish in the Lixiahe area of Jiangsu province, and it is also a popular delicacy in the Jiangnan area of China. It is made from crab as raw material, added with rice wine, spices, refined salt, etc. The taste is moderately salty and fresh. And the aroma is not fishy. We use Huadiao cooking wine but not rice wine because most of you may not buy rice wine in your country. If you can buy rice wine, just use the rice wine.
Can Drink Alcohol After Eating Crab?
Please don’t eat crab and drink beer. But you can drink a small quantity of rice wine and wine. The beer is cold and contains a lot of purines. Crabs also contain a lot of purines. Eating crabs and drinking beer is very dangerous and can easily cause gout. Wine can be disinfected, and rice wine can ward off cold. A small amount of alcohol can relieve the discomfort of eating crabs, but not a lot of alcohol. Therefore, eating crabs is generally not allowed to drinking beer. Although we use cooking wine to make this recipe, it won’t have much alcohol on the crab when you eat it.
Boiling Crab For How Long?
It generally takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook crabs. The cooking time varies according to the size of the crabs. Crabs less than 150g are generally cooked for 15 minutes, and crabs with more than 150g are recommended to be cooked for about 20 minutes, which can fully cook the crabs.
Boiling Crab Vs Steaming?
Both steamed crabs and boiled crabs are delicious. Both have their own merits and tastes. It mainly depends on personal preference. Steamed crab, as the name suggests, is to put crab into the steamer and steam, so it will taste more authentic, and the integrity of the steamed crab is also relatively good, and you can eat it with your favorite sauce.
When using water to boil crab, it will add some seasonings, such as salt, sugar, ginger, etc. Those things will make the crab taste richer. And it can be eaten directly after cooking, and there is no need to eat it with sauce. The crab meat will be very tasty. However, the integrity of boiled crabs will be lacking, and sometimes the crabs will lose their legs.
Chinese Drunken Crab Recipe
Ingredients(affiliate link)
- 50 g ginger
- 15 Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 star anise
- 1 Chinese cinnamon
- 4 bay leaves
- 400 ml light soy sauce
- 600 ml Huadiao cooking wine
- 1 lemon
- 8 crabs
Instructions
- Firstly, prepare 50g of ginger. Cut it into slices. Save for later.
- Next, prepare spices including 15 Sichuan peppercorns, 2 star anise, 1Chinese cinnamon, 4 bay leaves. Then pour the spices and ginger slices into thepot. And stir-fry until fragrant. Then pour in 400ml of light soy sauce. Whenit boils, pour in 320g of rock sugar and 600ml of Huadiao cooking wine. Thenpour 200ml of water into the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes. Then let the saucecool down after turning off the heat.
- Next, pour 2L of water to the pot. Then put in the steaming rack. Coverthe lid. And let the water boil.
- While the water is boiling, put the fresh crabs in the clear water .Ibought 8 crabs. When buying crabs, we have to buy these fresh ones, becausedead crabs have toxins. Use a brush to clean the crabs one by one. The crabs Ibought in the market did not have their feet bound. When brushing, be carefulnot to get your fingers pinched by the crab feet.
- When all crabs are cleaned, put them on the steaming rack in order.And then cover the lid. Move quickly, or the crabs will escape. Then turn onhigh heat. And steam for 15 minutes until the crabs are completely cooked.
- Now, pour the cooled sauce into a large plate and use a skimmer spoon toremove the spices. Then soak the steamed crabs in the sauce in turn. Then cut alemon into slices. Put them on the top. Then seal with food cling wrap. Andthen refrigerate it for 24 hours. After refrigerating for 24 hours, the crabshave been fully soaked and tasted. And they can be eaten at this time. The Chinese drunken crab recipe is done. Hope you can enjoy it!
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