Ingredients
500 g (about 1 lb) green crab, 25 g (about 1 3/4 tablespoons) clear meat broth, 50 g (about 1 3/4 cups) fresh cilantro.
Seasonings
25 g yellow rice vinegar, 25 g wet starch, 25 g flour, 1 g MSG, 1 g salt, 50 g Shaoxing wine, 10 g minced ginger, 10 g chopped scallions, 5 g sesame oil, 15 g soy sauce, 500 g lard (about 2 cups, 100 g actually used).
Instructions
1. Wash the blue crabs thoroughly, remove the top shell, gills, and the lower abdominal flap, scrape off the hair from the legs, then cut the crabs into 2 cm (about 3/4 inch) rectangular pieces, keeping the large and small legs attached while removing the joints and claws. Arrange the pieces bottom-shell-side-down flat on a porcelain plate, dust with flour, and set aside.
2. Place the chopped green onions and minced ginger in a small bowl, then add soy sauce, vinegar, Shaoxing wine, MSG, wet starch, salt, and 25 g (about 2 tablespoons) of meat broth to make the sauce mixture.
3. Place a wok over high heat, add lard and heat until it reaches 70% hot (about 350°F/175°C), then add the crab pieces and deep-fry until they turn red, before pouring everything into a colander to drain the oil.
4. Heat 75 g (about 1/3 cup) lard in a wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 60% hot, then add the fried crab pieces, stir the sauce well and pour it into the wok, toss a few times, drizzle with sesame oil, plate, and arrange cilantro around the edge. This dish is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a unique and delicious flavor.