Typhoon shelter crab

If you love garlic and gutsy flavours, this iconic Hong Kong dish ticks all the boxes. Named after the boat people who once lived on fishing boats in typhoon shelters, these garlic-laden and deliciously earthy dishes are often made with all seafood, particularly crab. They became so popular that these are now served in many Chinese restaurants. The crab in this recipe is cooked with shell on so have bowls of water ready to clean fingers. And perhaps a bib!

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
• 20 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1.5 kg blue swimmer crabs, cleaned and roughly chopped into pieces
• 60 g finely chopped eschallots (about 2)
• 30 g finely chopped ginger
• 5 - 8 dried chillies, cut with scissors to 1 cm pieces, to taste
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 spring onion, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (optional)

Serves 4-6 as part of a shared meal.

Instructions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large saucepan over low-medium heat or to 140˚C. Add the finely chopped garlic and stir with chopsticks (or spatula) continuously to prevent clumping. Fry 3-4 minutes or until just turning light golden. Carefully pour the garlic and oil into a fine sieve strainer set over a heat-proof bowl. Transfer garlic to drain on a paper-towel lined tray.

2. Return the garlic-infused oil to the wok over medium-high heat. Add the crab pieces, in batches and deep-fry until the shells turn a glossy coral red, about 4-5 minutes per batch (be careful as hot oil will spit). Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined tray. Strain oil into a heat-proof bowl and reserve.

3. Wipe the wok clean and return to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons reserved oil and add the eschallots and ginger, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, or until light golden and crisp. Add the chillies and fermented black beans. Stir-fry for 1 minute and return the crab to the pan with half the fried garlic, salt and sugar. Cook, tossing, for 1 minute, then add the spring onion. Add Shaoxing wine (if using) and taste for seasoning.

4. Transfer the typhoon shelter crab to a serving bowl. Top with the remaining crispy garlic and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.