Cracked Crab with Lemongrass, Black Pepper, and Basil

2 Reviews
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Photo: Peden & Munk; Styling: Amy Wilson 
Total Time
1 Hour 15 Mins
Yield
Serves 4
January 2014
RECIPE BY Sunset

Big, bold Southeast Asian flavors team up in a perfect balance of salty, sweet, hot, and aromatic.

Ingredients

  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, ends trimmed and coarse leaves discarded
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 fully cooked Dungeness crabs (about 2 lbs. each), cleaned, legs cracked, and bodies quartered
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup loosely packed cilantro sprigs
  • 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves or small regular basil leaves

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 351
  • Caloriesfromfat 35%
  • Protein 35g
  • Fat 13g
  • Satfat 2.1g
  • Carbohydrate 23g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Sodium 1060mg
  • Cholesterol 163mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Chop lemongrass. Put in a food processor with ginger and garlic; whirl until minced. Scrape into a large bowl and stir in honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Add crabs and stir to coat well. Cover, then chill at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Step 2

Pour oil into a 14-in. wok or a wide 8- to 10-qt. pot over medium-high heat. With a slotted spoon, add crabs (reserve marinade). Cover and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes (omit this cooking time if using fully cooked crabs).

Step 3

Uncover pan, add marinade, and cook, stirring often, until crabs are steaming and meat is opaque, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in cilantro and basil, then transfer crabs and juices to a serving bowl.

Step 5

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Also appeared in: Sunset, December, 2008

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Ratings & Reviews

cookinuptrouble's Review

cookJane
January 03, 2014
The minute I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it -- the overall flavor palate was so appealing. I made the dish exactly as the recipe is written, cooked exactly as prescribed. The result was pure black pepper. The 1 1/2 tablespoons completely overpowered the other ingredients. Given the expense of the crab and the extensive time it took to make the dish, it will be a while before I try it again. For sure, I'll start with a third as much pepper and go from there.

cookJane's Review

cookinuptrouble
December 24, 2008
I love this recipe. I made it twice already and received many compliments. Simply excellent. I followed the recipe exactly. The basil leaves and ginger added a special taste to the dish. I will surely use the again.