Chile Crab

Crab is cooked in a nicely sweet, spicy, and savory sauce with ginger, garlic, and shallots in this Thai chile crab dish.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 226 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water, or as needed
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger, chopped
• 3 shallots, peeled
• 4 red chile peppers
• 4 whole crabs, cleaned and quartered
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed and leaves chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine shallots and red chile peppers in a food processor; pulse until a very fine paste forms.

Step 2

Crack the crab claws and the big legs slightly.

Step 3

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot; add crabs and cook until shells change color and meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer crabs to a plate, reserving oil in the wok.

Step 4

Reduce heat under wok to medium-low and add chile pepper paste; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Whisk ketchup, vinegar, and sugar together in a bowl; pour over garlic-ginger mixture and stir until sauce is well mixed.

Step 5

Return crab to sauce in the wok; cook and stir for 3 minutes more, seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour eggs into wok while continuously stirring to create strands in the sauce. Add water if sauce gets too dry. Remove wok from heat and garnish crabs with cilantro.