Cooking in a claypot is southern Chinese in origin. One popular version in Thailand uses either crab claws or whole crabs cut into serving pieces. Although slices of pork fat are normally used, bacon improves the flavor of an already tasty dish.
Ingredients
- 2 whole crabs (about 2 lbs/1 kg)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 2 slices lean bacon, cut into pieces
- 2 coriander roots, cut in half
- 2 in (5 cm) ginger, sliced
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns, crushed
- 8 oz (250 g) dried glass noodles (bean thread or cellophane noodles) soaked in cold water to soften for
- 5 minutes and drained
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 green onions (scallions), cut in lengths
- 1 sprig coriander leaves (cilantro) Stock
- 2 cups (500 ml) Thai Chicken Stock
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons brandy or whisky
- 2 teaspoons sugar
How to Make It
- Place all the Stock ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Clean each crab by scrubbing it briskly with a brush. (If still alive, make sure the pincers are tied securely.) Rinse well with cold water. Using a cleaver or a heavy knife, cut the crab in half, then halve it again. Chop off the pincers, crack them and set aside. Remove the shell, scrape it out and set aside any roe.
- Heat the oil in a large claypot or heatproof casserole. Stir-fry the garlic over high heat till lightly brown. Add the bacon and stir-fry for one minute. Add the crab, coriander roots, ginger and peppercorns. Stir-fry for 3 minutes.
- Add the glass noodles, butter, soy sauce and Chicken Stock. Mix well, cover and cook over high heat for 15-20 minutes or until crabs are cooked. Stir in the green onions and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.