Stir-fried Crab with Ginger and Scallion

a plate of stir-fried crabs with scallion and ginger.

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Stir-fried Crab with Ginger and Scallion

Stir-fried Crab with Ginger and Scallion (Cua Xao Hanh Gung) is a popular dish at seafood restaurants in Vietnam. The dish is well-loved for its aromatic and flavorful profile. You can easily make this restaurant-quality dish at home and impress everyone.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: crab stir-fry, cua xao hanh gung

Servings: people

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Sophie

Equipment

Large sauté pan

Ingredients

2.2 lbs live crabs (see Notes for types of crabs)
4-5 scallion stalks
1.5 oz peeled ginger, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or sake)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 cup water
cooking oil

US Customary - Grams

Instructions

Place crabs in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to make them dormant and easier to handle. Then rinse them under cold running water to remove any dirt. You can use a brush to clean the shell more thoroughly.
Flip the crab over, lift and pull off the flap/apron. Also, grab the carapace and pull it away from the body. With the carapace off, remove and discard the gills and the mouthparts. Give the crab another rinse.
Use sharp kitchen shears to cut the body into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the crabs. Then use a mallet to crack the claws and legs. If you like the yellow gooey "crab butter" inside, scrape into a bowl and set aside.
Cut the scallions into 2-inch long pieces (about 5cm), and keep the white and green parts separated. Thinly slice the ginger.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and heat a generous amount of cooking oil. Dip the flesh side of the crab halves of quarters into cornstarch. Shake off excess starch, and then fry the crab pieces for about 3 minutes or until the side coated with cornstarch is lightly golden. Transfer to a plate.
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add just enough cooking oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add ginger slice, stir and cook briefly until fragrant. Then add the white parts of scallion, also stir and cook briefly until fragrant.
Add the crab pieces to the skillet. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, then pour Shaoxing wine over the crabs. Give it a quick stir, then continue to add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, water and the "crab butter".
Stir well and let the sauce come to a simmer. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the crab pieces are fully cooked, stirring a few times. Adjust the heat as needed. Avoid overcooking as the crab meat may become dry and tasteless. Also adjust the amount of liquid and seasonings to your likings.
Add the green parts of the scallions. Give everything another thorough stir, then transfer to serving plates. Serve right away.

Notes

You can use various types of crabs depending on availability. We often use mud crabs in Vietnam. Dungeness crabs should work well. You may also try blue crabs; however, I find the taste less delicious than using mud crabs.

I recommend having strong crab crackers when eating this dish to crack open the shells. After eating, your fingers may still have some lingering smell even after washing with soap. We often rub our fingers with lime or lemon wedges to help get rid of the smell faster.

The recipe can serve 2-3 people. You can serve it as is. We sometimes have several bread slices on the side to soak up the sauces.

Nutrition