Chinese Dungeness Crab Recipe: Sweet and Creamy Crab!
Dungeness crab has a much more delicate texture and sweeter flavor compared to snow crabs or king crabs. Its amazing flavor makes Dungeness crab a great choice for seafood lovers. You can grill it, broil it, or make stir-fries. Today, I will make the crab a bit differently.
This Chinese Dungeness crab recipe is made by frying the crab meat first and then baking it in a casserole. The spices and sauces used for this recipe enhance the flavor of the crab. Enjoy crispy and aromatic Dungeness crab by following this recipe. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Chinese Dungeness Crab Recipe Overview
Why don’t you take a look at the recipe overview before getting into the preparation and cooking?
| Course: Main | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 30 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 2 persons | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 392 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
You will need the following ingredients to make delicious Dungeness crab. Organize them first and then we will go into the cooking.
- Dungeness Crab: 1 pc
- Garlic: 8-10 cloves
- Ginger: 1 block of 2-3 inches
- Onion: 5-6 small onions
- Oyster Sauce: 1 tsp
- Light Soy Sauce: 1 tsp
- Chili Juice: 1 tsp
- Sugar: ½ tsp
- Five Spice Powder: ½ tsp
- Black Pepper: ⅓ tsp, freshly ground
- Cornstarch: 2-3 tbsp
- Cooking Oil: 300ml
- Butter: 50g
Chinese Dungeness Crab Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Once the ingredients are ready, you can start preparing the crab. Here are the detailed steps.
Step 1: Clean the Crab and Separate the Meat
Prepping the crab requires some experience. If you are totally new to this, use a knife or scissor blades to pry open the crab shell. Then, discard the gills and heart of the crab.
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Cut the crab legs and remove half of the shell. Then, hit the knuckles with a cleaver to break it open.
Step 2: Coat the Crab and Fry It
Take cornstarch on a plate and roll the separated crab meat onto the starch. Make sure the meat is evenly coated with starch. Then, heat about 300ml of oil in a pot. Add the coated crab meat and shells to the hot oil.
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After adding the crab, turn the heat to medium and fry the crab for about 3-5 minutes. The crab meat should have crispy skin.
Step 3: Cook the Crab with the Spices
Heat a casserole and add a splash of oil to the pot. Also, add 50g of butter and let it melt. Then, add the garlic, onion, and ginger to the pot and fry them until they release the fragrance.
Then, add the fried crab to the pot and turn the heat to medium. Fry the crab for about five minutes with the lid on.
Step 4: Add the Sauce and Bake the Crab
After 5 minutes, open the lid and pour the sauce you made earlier. Then, close the lid and bake the crab over low heat for another 5 minutes. Beautiful and delicious Dungeness crab is now waiting for you to dig in.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
With 392 calories in each serving, you should watch out for the nutritional values of this recipe. Here you go.
- Total Carbohydrates: 10g
- Protein: 18g
- Total Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugar: 1g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
- Sodium: 1051mg
- Potassium: 240mg
- Calcium: 56mg
- Iron: 1.4mg
- Vitamin A: 240IU
- Vitamin C: 10.5mg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
As preparing crabs is tricky for beginners, I want to share the following secret tips.
Do’s
- Use a pair of scissors to cut through the shell rather than breaking it. If you try to break the shell, the meat might be wasted.
- Use the back of a teaspoon to extract meat from the crevices. A lot of meat is hidden in those crevices.
Don’ts
- Don’t cook the crab for too long. Otherwise, the meat will be dry and chewy. Cooking the crab for 12-14 minutes is good enough.
- Don’t use too many sauces or seasonings. They will overpower the natural delicate flavor of the Dungeness crab.
Chinese Dungeness Crab Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Prepping the crab requires some experience. If you are totally new to this, use a knife or scissor blades to pry open the crab shell. Then, discard the gills and heart of the crab.
- Cut the crab legs and remove half of the shell. Then, hit the knuckles with a cleaver to break it open.
- Take cornstarch on a plate and roll the separated crab meat onto the starch. Make sure the meat is evenly coated with starch. Then, heat about 300ml of oil in a pot. Add the coated crab meat and shells to the hot oil.
- After adding the crab, turn the heat to medium and fry the crab for about 3-5 minutes. The crab meat should have crispy skin.
- Heat a casserole and add a splash of oil to the pot. Also, add 50g of butter and let it melt. Then, add the garlic, onion, and ginger to the pot and fry them until they release the fragrance.
- Then, add the fried crab to the pot and turn the heat to medium. Fry the crab for about five minutes with the lid on.
- After 5 minutes, open the lid and pour the sauce you made earlier. Then, close the lid and bake the crab over low heat for another 5 minutes. Beautiful and delicious Dungeness crab is now waiting for you to dig in.
FAQs
While making this recipe, you might encounter the following questions. Check their answers before you get stuck.
Can you suggest side dishes or accompaniments that pair well with this dish?
Of course. As the crab meat is sweet and delicate, you can serve roasted vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, etc. You can also serve creamy potatoes, artichokes, or green salad with this dish.
How do you properly clean and prepare the Dungeness crab before cooking?
You must clean the crab under running water so that there is no mud in the claws or legs. After opening the shell, discard the gills and clean the inside as well. Then, remove the meat from the shells and clean any part if necessary.
Can this recipe be adapted to accommodate different levels of spiciness or flavor preferences?
Sure. You can make your own version of Dungeness crab by adjusting the spice level or flavor profile. But I recommend not using a lot of spices in this crab dish. Let the natural sweet flavor of the crab be the star of the dish.
What parts of the Dungeness crab can I eat?
You can eat the claw meat, leg meat, body meat, and the shell of Dungeness crab. Other organs aren’t edible, so remove them before cooking.
Conclusion
If you are willing to go through the cleaning part, you are in for a delicious treat. This Chinese Dungeness crab recipe will give you an amazingly flavorful crab. The shells will be crispy and the meat will be extremely tender. The natural sweetness of the crab meat leaves a mellow feeling on your tastebuds.
Make this light and healthy recipe at home and serve restaurant-quality Dungeness crab to amaze your guests.
