Steamed Blue Crabs with Black Ginger Dipping Sauce

Name: Steamed Blue Crabs with Black Ginger Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 3 Tbsps Chinese black vinegar* (preferably Chinkiang) or cider vinegar; 118 milliliters fresh cilantro stems, coarsely chopped; 2 Tbsps finely chopped peeled fresh ginger; 36 live blue crabs (1/4 to 1/3 lb each; 3 dozen), well rinsed; 0 teaspoons salt; 118 milliliters fermented fine-quality soy sauce; 59 milliliters sugar; 59 milliliters water

Steamed Blue Crabs with Black Ginger Dipping Sauce is From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 35 minutes.

Instructions

Bring 1 1/2 inches water to a boil in pot.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add cilantro stems, then carefully add half of crabs using tongs and return to a boil. Cook, covered with lid, 8 minutes (for 1/4-pound crabs) to 10 minutes (for 1/3-pound crabs) from time they enter water. (Break shell of 1 claw to check for doneness; crabmeat should be opaque.)

Ingredients you will need

Cilantro

Crabmeat

Water

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Transfer crabs with long-handled tongs to a large platter, reserving cooking liquid in pot, and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Cook remaining crabs in same manner.

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Aluminum Foil

Pot

While crabs cook, stir together ginger (to taste), soy sauce, sugar, water, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Ingredients you will need

Soy Sauce

Vinegar

Ginger

Sugar

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

If necessary, dip crabs in cooking liquid to remove any external residue, then transfer to another large platter.

Ingredients you will need

Dip

Serve crabs hot, with dipping sauce.

Ingredients you will need

Dipping Sauce

*We recommend Gold Plum brand, available at Asian markets and Kam Man Food Products (212-571-0330).

Ingredients you will need

Plum

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

3Tbsps

Chinese black vinegar* (preferably Chinkiang) or cider vinegar 118milliliters

fresh cilantro stems, coarsely chopped 2Tbsps

finely chopped peeled fresh ginger 36

live blue crabs (1/4 to 1/3 lb each; 3 dozen), well rinsed 0teaspoons

salt 118milliliters

fermented fine-quality soy sauce 59milliliters

sugar 59milliliters

water

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Muscadet, Riesling

Chardonnay, Muscadet, and Riesling are great choices for Shellfish. Buttery chardonnay is great for scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster, while muscadet is a classic pick for mussels, oysters, and clams. If you've got some spice in your shellfish, a semi-dry riesling can balance out the heat. The Trentadue La Storia Chardonnay with a 4.3 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 20 dollars per bottle.