Source: Sha Jie Food
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If you want to say the most important bite to miss in autumn, it must be fragrant crab roe and crab paste. It is another season of crabs. The Shanghai food stalls in the street are filled with baskets of crabs with twitching claws, which makes people drool. The price of crabs this year is particularly affordable, much cheaper than in previous years. Now I can really eat enough with my stomach.
But when it comes to eating crabs, the most authentic way to cook them is steaming. Steaming can keep the fresh and sweetness of the crab to the greatest extent. The orange-red and attractive crab roe, the white and delicate crab meat, dipped in a little vinegar sauce, oh, I’m drooling when I think about it.
But many friends always encounter some problems when steaming crabs at home: either the steamed meat is old or the crab legs are falling out. The most regrettable thing is that the precious crab roe flows out, which is really heartbreaking and disappointing. In fact, steaming crabs is really not that difficult. Just master a few key time points and ensure that the crabs you steam every time are perfect! Today I will share with you the tips for steaming crabs. Remember three time points in mind, don’t lose your legs or fall yellow, and the crab meat will not be tender!
First time: processing time before putting on the pot
Don't rush to steam the crabs you bought, first give them a "salt bath". Soak the crabs in light salt water for about 20 minutes. This step is of great use. It can not only make the crabs spit out impurities in their stomachs, but also replenish water, making the steamed crab meat more plump and tender.
After soaking the salt water, use a small brush to clean the crab shells and crab legs. Especially in the wrinkled areas of crab shells, it is easy to hide dirt and dirt, so you must brush it carefully.
The second time point: put cold water on the pot or air on the water?
This is a key issue! Many people wait for the water to boil before putting crabs, and they feel that it is cooked so quickly. But in fact, the most correct way is to put it in the pot with cold water!
Put the crab belly facing up on the steamer, cover the pot, and turn on the heat to start steaming. Why put cold water on the pot? Because if the crabs are put on the water after the water boils, the crabs will struggle violently when they encounter high temperatures, so that their legs will easily fall off. If you start slowly heating the crabs with cold water, they will be steamed without realizing it, and there will be no broken legs.
The third time point: steaming time
This time depends on the size of the crab, and it cannot be generalized!
Generally speaking:
How to determine whether the water is boiling? Just see the edge of the lid of the pot start to get atmospheric. Calculate the steaming time from this time point and ensure that you won’t be wrong!
Here is another tip: when steaming crabs, you can add a few slices of ginger and a little beer to the water, which can not only remove the fishy smell, but also add a hint of wine fragrance, making the crabs more delicious. After the time is up, don’t rush to open the lid. Turn off the heat and simmer for another 2 minutes. Let the remaining heat in the pot continue to heat up, so that the crab will add more flavor.
How to judge whether a crab is cooked thoroughly: When the crab shell turns red, it means it is cooked? Not necessarily. The most reliable method is to look at the place where the crab cover and the crab body are connected. If you can easily break it apart and see that the crab roe inside has solidified and is not in a sparse state, it means that it is already cooked.
Okay, after mastering these 3 time points, I will share with you a complete steamed hairy crab recipe to ensure you succeed in one go!
【Steamed hairy crabs】Prepare ingredients:
Practice steps:
1. Use a small brush to carefully clean the crab shells, crab legs, and crab claws, especially the wrinkles at the joints and shells.
2. Add an appropriate amount of water to the steamer, pour in half a cup of beer, and add a few slices of ginger. Put the washed crab belly facing up on the steamer so that the belly facing up can prevent the crab roe from losing.
4. Cover the pot, turn on high heat and start steaming. Remember, it’s cold water to serve! Wait until the water boils and starts to time, steam it according to the size of the crab for 10-15 minutes (3-4 taels of crab will be almost done for 15 minutes).
5. Turn off the heat after the time is up, don’t rush to open the lid, and simmer for another 2 minutes. While the time of stewing crabs, let’s make a dip: cut the ginger into powder, add balsamic vinegar and a little sugar, and stir well. Open the lid of the pot and a fresh fragrance comes to your nose! The orange-red and seductive crabs are steamed!
Look, the crabs steamed in this way will not fall out of their legs, the crab roe will not flow, and the crab meat will not be tender and old, perfect. I took out one while it was hot and broke the crab cover. The golden crab roe made people's index fingers move. Dip it in a little ginger vinegar sauce and put it into your mouth. The mellowness of the crab roe and the sweetness of the crab meat blend in your mouth. The deliciousness is really indescribable! After eating crabs, remember to drink a cup of ginger tea to warm your stomach, because crabs are cold in nature, ginger tea can neutralize them.
This autumn, while the crabs are affordable, buy them a few more times and use this method to steam them for your family to eat. By the way, if you have better tips for steaming crabs, please share them in the comment section. Let's enjoy this delicious autumn gift.
