Executive Chef Zack Trương

Dive headfirst into the thrilling heat of ‘Deep-Fried Softshell Crab with Chili Crab Sauce’. This dish is a vibrant explosion of sweet, savoury, and fiery flavours, guaranteed to set your taste buds on a wild adventure.

Tender, crispy softshell crab takes centre stage, bathed in a rich, aromatic chili crab sauce that's both intensely flavourful and irresistibly addictive. Prepare to be captivated by chef Zack Trương now!

Ingredients:

For the chilli crab sauce:

• Cooking oil for stir-frying
• 120g chilli crab paste
• Sri Lanka crabs (washed & portioned)
• 900ml water
• 120g chilli sauce
• 80g tomato sauce
• 20g sugar
• 1tbsp chicken powder
• 1/4tbsp salt
• 50ml Hua Diao wine
• 3 whole egg whites (lightly beaten)
• Corn starch for thickening

For the chilli crab paste:

• 120g preserved soybeans
• 105g onion (peel & chop)
• 60g peanuts
• 35g ginger flower (thinly sliced)
• 25g dried red chilli (soak & strain)
• 20g young ginger knob (scrap & slice)
• 20g Chilli Padi
• 12g belachan
• 3/4tbsp chilli powder
• 1/2tsp turmeric powder
• 250ml cooking oil

Deep fried softshell crab with chilli crab sauce

Preparation:

Chilli crab paste:

• In a food processor, blend all the chilli crab paste ingredients except the cooking oil until it forms a smooth paste.
• Stir fry the paste on low heat for about 45 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool, then the chilli crab paste is ready to use.

Deep-fried mantou:

• Steam the mantou (Chinese steamed buns) for 5 minutes.
• Deep fry the mantou in hot oil until golden brown.

Deep-fried softshell crab:

• Rinse and pat dry the soft shell crabs. Dust the crabs lightly with crispy flour or cornstarch.
• Deep fry the coated crabs in hot oil until golden brown and crispy.

Chili crab sauce:

• In a wok over medium heat, stir-fry the chilli crab paste for 2 minutes. Add the deep-fried softshell crabs and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Pour in some water and simmer for 3 minutes. Add in chilli sauce, ketchup, and seasoning to taste.
• Cover and let the sauce simmer until it comes to a boil. Remove the lid, then stir in Shaoxing wine and cornstarch to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency. Finally, add in some beaten egg white and mix well.

Chilli crab paste:

• In a food processor, blend all the chilli crab paste ingredients except the cooking oil until it forms a smooth paste. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, then add the blended paste.
• Stir fry the paste on low heat for about 45 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool, then the chilli crab paste is ready to use. Serve the deep-fried softshell crabs with the chilli crab sauce and the crispy fried mantou on the side.

‘Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Chili Crab Sauce' and others are served at The Summit Bar, Level 20, Pan Pacific Hanoi, 1 Thanh Niên Road, Ba Đình District, Hà Nội. Tel: (024) 2823 8888. VNS