Servings
Font
Back
Ginger Scallion Crab
5 from 12 votes

Ginger Scallion Crab

Ginger Scallion Crab features fresh blue crab pieces lightly dusted with cornstarch and egg white, deep-fried until orange-red, then stir-fried with a sauce of sesame oil, rice wine, soy, and aromatics like ginger, garlic, and scallions. The preparation involves careful cleaning and preparation of live crabs, frying for texture, and finishing in a flavorful sauce thickened with cornstarch slurry, yielding a dish with crispy yet tender crab and a savory, slightly sweet sauce accented by fresh scallions and ginger.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 237 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Ingredients

  • 4 blue crab fresh
  • 5 lices ginger
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 4 ticks green onion
Deep Fry Crab:
  • 1 large egg white
  • ¼ cup cornstarch (Use for dusting the crabs)
  • 2 cups vegetable oil (For deep frying crabs)
Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cooking rice wine
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 cup water
Thicken sauce:
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If you have alive and active crabs, I recommend putting them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before handling the crabs. Remove the claws and cut the pointy legs. (I used 4 blue crabs. And, some people like to use a knife to mash the claw a little bit, so it can absorb the sauce when cooking.)
  2. Open the shell. 
  3. Take out the roe and use it later. Or, you can use to make congee.
  4. Open the flap at the back of the crab and remove it. Remember to scrub the back of the crab.
  5. Cut the crab into half and take out the roe (save it for later) and remove the gills (don't eat the gills).
  6. Remove and discard the stomach. 
  7. Take out the roe on the shell and cut the front shell a little bit.
  8. After all, wash and scrub the crabs to remove dirt and mud. 
  9. Cut 4 sticks of green onion into half and strips.
  10. Peel off 5 cloves of garlic and use the knife to smash the garlic.
  11. Beat 1 large egg white, then dip the crab into the egg white. 
  12. After, put ¼ cup of cornstarch in the container. Dust crab with cornstarch. 
  13. Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into the wok.
  14. Turn on medium low fire. Use wooden chopsticks to test if oil is hot enough. You will see some bubbles around the wooden chopsticks when the oil is hot enough. Or, use a thermometer to test oil around 350F. 
  15. Deep fry the leg parts, then the claws and shells.
  16. Slightly deep fry the crabs until it changes to an orange red color. (Don’t need to fully cook them at this point because you will stir fry it later.)
  17. Pour 1 tablespoon of sesame oil into the wok. Add 5 slices of ginger. Then, add 5 cloves of garlic. Stir fry them a little bit. (If you are worried about sesame oil being heated up, use vegetable oil to stir fry ginger and garlic. You can add some sesame oil after cooking.) 
  18. Then, add 4 sticks of green onion, the top part.
  19. Next, put the deep fried crabs into the wok.
  20. After that, add 1 tablespoon of cooking rice wine, 1.5 teaspoon of soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper and 1 cup of water. Stir it a little bit and cover the lid for 2-3 minutes. 
  21. The following step, put the roe into the wok. Keep stir frying the crabs.
  22. In a small container, add ½ tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it well.
  23. Lastly, pour the cornstarch mixture and keep stir frying the crabs until the sauce is thickened or less sauce. Then, add the bottom part of the green onion, mix it and ready to serve.

Notes

  • If your crabs are active, refrigerate for 1-2 hours before preparation to calm them for easier handling.
  • Remove claws, pointy legs, internal gills, stomach, and clean scrupulously; do not eat gills or stomach.
  • Dip crab pieces in egg white and coat with cornstarch to protect proteins and aid in frying.
  • Deep-fry crab until orange-red but do not fully cook; final cooking happens in the stir-fry sauce.
  • Save crab roe for adding into the dish near the end or use it separately for congee.
  • Stir-fry ginger, garlic, and scallions with sauce ingredients, then simmer crab briefly with the sauce covered.
  • Thicken sauce at the end with cornstarch slurry for a glossy coating.

Nutrition Information

Calories 237kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 298mg (12%) Potassium 49mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 11IU (0%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 12mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 237

% Daily Value*

Calories 237kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 298mg 12%
Potassium 49mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 11IU 0%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.