Ginger Chili Crab

This stir-fry dish comes together quickly and is a crowd pleaser. Make sure to have plenty of extra napkins on hand. You can ask your fishmonger to quarter cleaned, cooked crab for you.

1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 2 bird’s eye chilies, finely sliced
2 shallots, sliced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely grated ginger
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, cut in 3 pieces and crushed, to release flavour
2 cooked and cleaned Dungeness crabs, quartered (about 4 1/2 lbs/2 kg total)
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced tomato
2 Tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
1 Tbsp (15 mL) natural cane sugar
2 Tbsp (30 mL) shaoxing wine or sherry
1 tsp (5 mL) fish sauce
1/4 cup (60 mL) light coconut milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
3 green onions, trimmed and sliced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat oil in large wok over high heat until just smoking. Add garlic, chilies, shallots, ginger, and lemon grass. Continue to stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add crab, tomato, tomato paste, sugar, wine or sherry, fish sauce, coconut milk, and water. Cover, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook about 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and toss in green onions and cilantro. Divide crab and sauce among serving bowls and offer lime wedges alongside. Serve immediately with steamed brown jasmine rice, if desired.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 158 calories; 16 g protein; 5 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 12 g carbohydrates (6 g sugars, 1 g fibre); 374 mg sodium

source: "Shellfish", alive #364, February 2013