Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab

避風塘炒蟹

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — finished dish

Total time: 55 min
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Crab pieces are fried crisp, then buried under dry golden garlic, chilli, fermented black beans and breadcrumbs in classic Hong Kong typhoon-shelter style.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

1.2 kg mud crab
180 g garlic
3 pieces red chillies
2 tbsp fermented black beans
100 g breadcrumbs

Crab seasoning

1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch white pepper
80 g cornflour

Typhoon-shelter seasoning

1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper salt

Frying oil

1.5 L cooking oil

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — ingredients

02

Tools

cutting board
knife
large bowl
deep pot
kitchen tongs
thermometer

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — tools

03

Steps

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Scrub the crab and remove the gills

Step 1

Scrub the crab and remove the gills

Scrub the crab and remove the gills.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Chop the body, crack the claws and pat dry

Step 2

Chop the body, crack the claws and pat dry

Chop the body, crack the claws and pat dry.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Season crab with salt and white pepper

Step 3

Season crab with salt and white pepper

Season crab with salt and white pepper.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Coat the cut surfaces evenly with cornflour

Step 4

Coat the cut surfaces evenly with cornflour

Coat the cut surfaces evenly with cornflour.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Finely chop garlic, slice chillies and roughly chop black beans

Step 5

Finely chop garlic, slice chillies and roughly chop black beans

Finely chop garlic, slice chillies and roughly chop black beans.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Heat oil to 175°C and fry crab in batches

Step 6

Heat oil to 175°C and fry crab in batches

Heat oil to 175°C and fry crab in batches.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Drain when shells turn red and flesh reaches 63°C

Step 7

Drain when shells turn red and flesh reaches 63°C

Drain when shells turn red and flesh reaches 63°C.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Fry garlic gently in a clean wok until pale golden

Step 8

Fry garlic gently in a clean wok until pale golden

Fry garlic gently in a clean wok until pale golden.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Add chillies and black beans and fry until aromatic

Step 9

Add chillies and black beans and fry until aromatic

Add chillies and black beans and fry until aromatic.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Add breadcrumbs and fry until dry and golden

Step 10

Add breadcrumbs and fry until dry and golden

Add breadcrumbs and fry until dry and golden.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Season with sugar and pepper salt, then return the crab

Step 11

Season with sugar and pepper salt, then return the crab

Season with sugar and pepper salt, then return the crab.

Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Crab — Toss quickly until the golden topping coats every piece

Step 12

Toss quickly until the golden topping coats every piece

Toss quickly until the golden topping coats every piece.

Common mistakes

Garlic removed only when dark brown will turn bitter from residual heat; stop at pale gold.

Tips

Dry the crab and fry in batches so the oil temperature does not plunge.