Steamed Hairy Crab

清蒸大闸蟹

Steamed Hairy Crab — Jiangsu-ZhejiangSuzhou home cooking.

Ingredients

• live hairy crab (female, ~150 g each)
• fresh ginger
• Shaoxing wine
• Chinese black vinegar

Instructions

1. Rinse crabs under cold running water; use a soft brush to gently scrub shells and legs. Pat dry with paper towels. (Crabs are clean, shiny, and free of visible debris.)
2. Grate 20 g ginger (reserve remaining 10 g). Place crabs belly-up on a heatproof plate. Tuck 1 tsp grated ginger and ½ tsp Shaoxing wine into the cavity of each crab. (Ginger is evenly distributed in the crab's abdominal cavity.)
3. Bring a wok or large pot with 5 cm water to a vigorous boil over high heat. Place crabs on a bamboo steamer lined with cabbage leaves (to prevent sticking), then set steamer over wok. (Water bubbles vigorously; steam rises thick and white.)
4. Cover and steam over high heat for 15 minutes for 150 g crabs (add 2 minutes per additional 25 g). Do not lift lid during steaming. (Crab shells turn bright orange-red, and roe becomes opaque golden-yellow.)
5. Meanwhile, make ginger-vinegar sauce: finely mince remaining 10 g ginger, mix with black vinegar and a pinch of white pepper. Serve alongside hot crabs. (Sauce is pale amber with visible ginger flecks.)