Crispy Spicy Stir-Fried Mud Crabs
[Mud Crabs] Spicy, Sweet, and Crispy Mud Crab (Baby Crab) Stir-Fry Recipe for Rice Lovers
Perfect as a side dish for your meals! This dish features a spicy and sweet sauce that coats crispy mud crabs, making it an irresistible ‘rice thief’ that will have you finishing your rice in no time. We’ll guide you through the preparation and frying tips.
Main Ingredients- 230g fresh mud crabs (small crabs, baby crabs)
- 4 Tbsp rice wine (to remove fishy smell)
- 10 Tbsp ginger powder or ginger juice (for flavor and odor removal)
- Generous amount of cooking oil (for frying crabs)
- 1/2 green chili pepper, 1/2 red chili pepper (for color and mild spiciness)
- 1/2 stalk green onion (for added aroma)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Seasoning Ingredients- 3 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) for spiciness
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce for savory depth
- 1 Tbsp sugar for sweetness adjustment
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup or oligodang for gloss and sweetness
- 1 Tbsp rice wine for harmonizing flavors
- Pinch of black pepper for enhanced aroma
- A little sesame oil for a nutty finish
- A little sesame seeds for nutty flavor and texture
- 3 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) for spiciness
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce for savory depth
- 1 Tbsp sugar for sweetness adjustment
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup or oligodang for gloss and sweetness
- 1 Tbsp rice wine for harmonizing flavors
- Pinch of black pepper for enhanced aroma
- A little sesame oil for a nutty finish
- A little sesame seeds for nutty flavor and texture
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The first step in preparing the mud crabs! Soak them in lightly salted water for about 30 minutes. This helps remove impurities and lightly seasons the crabs.
Step 2
Remove the mud crabs from the salted water and rinse them thoroughly under running water several times. Drain them well in a colander. Place them in a bowl, add 4 tablespoons of rice wine and 10 tablespoons of ginger powder (or ginger juice), and gently mix and marinate. This process removes any fishy odor and adds delicious flavor.
Step 3
Now it’s time to fry the mud crabs until crispy. Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the drained mud crabs and fry them. Frying them slowly over medium heat, rather than high heat, ensures they cook through and become nicely crispy.
Step 4
Once fried, remove the mud crabs, let them cool slightly, and then fry them a second time. Double-frying makes the crabs much crispier and more satisfying to chew. Continue to fry over medium heat.
Step 5
After double-frying, place the mud crabs on a sieve to drain excess oil. Then, transfer them to a kitchen towel to absorb any remaining oil and let them cool completely. This keeps them from becoming soggy and maintains their crispiness.
Step 6
In a separate pan, heat a little cooking oil. Add the sliced garlic, diagonally sliced green and red chilies, and green onion. Sauté until fragrant. The aroma from the vegetables will infuse into the oil, enhancing the sauce’s flavor.
Step 7
In a bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of gochugaru, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup (or oligodang), 1 tablespoon of rice wine, and a pinch of black pepper to create the sauce. Add this sauce to the sautéed vegetables in the pan and simmer over low heat until slightly thickened. Be careful not to burn it.
Step 8
Once the sauce is simmering, add the double-fried and cooled mud crabs to the pan. Stir-fry quickly to coat the crabs evenly with the sauce. Finally, stir in a little sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for a delightful finish. Your delicious stir-fried mud crabs are ready! Enjoy them with a hot bowl of rice.
