Yield: 4 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 larges | Live Dungeness crabs, each |
| About 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds | |
| 10 | 12 fresh red chiles, stemmed |
| Seeded and chopped or 6 | |
| Dried Asian chiles | |
| (3 inches long), stemmed, | |
| Seeded, chopped and soaked | |
| In warm water to cover | |
| For 10 minutes, drained | |
| 2 tablespoons | Minced garlic, or to taste |
| 2 tablespoons | Minced shallots |
| 1 tablespoon | Finely grated gingerroot |
| 2 tablespoons | Vegetable oil, plus |
| Additional | |
| For the sauce: | |
| ½ cup | Ketchup |
| 1½ cup | Water |
| 1 tablespoon | Asian fish sauce, such as |
| Nam Pla | |
| ⅓ cup | Thai sweet chile sauce |
| 2 tablespoons | Fresh lime juice |
| 1 tablespoon | Cornstarch combined with 2 |
| TB water | |
| 2 larges | Eggs, lightly beaten |
| 3 tablespoons | Sliced scallion for garnish |
| slice | White bread as an |
| Accompaniment, if desired |
In a casserole or large pot of boiling salted water, add the crabs and cook them for about 1 minute, or until no longer moving. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
To clean the crabs pull off top shells; pull and twist off each apron; remove gills. With sharp knife cut crabs into quarters, rinse and drain.
In mortar and pestle or small food processor pound or process chiles, garlic, shallots and ginger with a little oil if necessary.
Combine all sauce ingredients.
Heat a wok over moderately high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until hot. Add chili and garlic paste and stir-fry 1 minute. Add crabs and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until shells turn red. Add sauce ingredients, bring to boil and simmer, covered, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer crabs to serving dish. Bring sauce in wok to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to wok.
Simmer until thickened. Gradually add eggs in a stream, whisking, and cook for 1 minute. Pour sauce over crabs and garnish with scallion.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Recommended Drink: Singha Beer
TASTE SHOW #TS4821