Salt and Pepper Crab

Filipino Style Recipe: Salt and pepper crab is another simple and easy seafood dish that is commonly served in Chinese restaurant. The crabs deep fried and stir cooked in scallion, butter, salt and pepper. This is usually served as appertizer or pulutan together with dipping sauce.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 kilo fresh mud crabs, cleaned
5 tablespoons cornstarch
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
3 tablespoons olive oil
cooking oil for deep frying
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter(optional)
1/8 teaspoon dried chili flakes(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. Sprinkle cornstarch over crabs then deep fry for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat olive oil and butter then saute garlic, scallion and chili flakes.
2. Add fried crabs then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir cook for a minute.
3. Remove from heat then transfer to serving plate and serve with spicy vinegar.

Steamed Crab

Filipino Style Recipe: Steamed Crab(alimasag) is a simple and easy seafood dish. The crabs simmered in water with salt, I used soda instead to have a sweeter taste. Crabs cooked for less than 8-10 minutes or until the crabs cooked and turns to bring red. This dish is usually served as appetizer or pulutan with toyo-mansi with bird’s eye chili(labuyo).

Ingredients:
1 kilo fresh crabs(alimasag), cleaned
1/2 cup soda
2 teaspoons salt

Procedures:
1. In a large pot, combine crabs and the rest of ingredients.
2. Cover and simmer in medium heat for 10 minutes or until crabs color turns to bright red.
3. Remove from heat then transfer to serving plate. Done.

Relyenong Alimasag

Filipino Style Recipe: relyenong alimasag or stuffed crabs is delicious but hard to prepare dish. Usually the crab meat sauteed then mixed with eggs, breadcrumbs and vegetables. Then stuffed to the empty shells and then deep fried.

Estimated time of preparation: 15 minutes(plus boiling time)
Estimated time of cooking: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
12 blue crabs(alimasag)
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cooking oil for frying

1 potato, diced(optional)
1 carrot, diced(optional)
1-2 pieces red hot chili(labuyo), minced(optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce(optional)
1 stalk parsley(wansoy), chopped(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a pot, boil crabs in salted water for 15 minutes.
2. Drain and let it cool. Scoop out all crab meat and reserve the empty shells. Set aside.

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion and tomatoes until mushy.
2. Add potatoes and carrots, cooked for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add crab meat, chili, parsley, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix and cooked 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat then transfer to large bowl.
5. Add eggs and breadcrumbs. Mix well.
6. Stuff the empty shells with mixture.

Part 3
1. In a pan, heat oil and deep fry the stuffed crabs for 2 minutes each side. Shells should bottom up first.
2. Drain on paper towel, serve with steamed rice and dipping sauce.

Crabs in Coconut Milk

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Filipino Style Recipe: Crabs in coconut milk or ginataang alimango or alimasag is another simple yet tasty and nutritious seafood dish, basically crabs simmered in coconut milk then season with salt and pepper.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 15-20 minutes
Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
5-6 pieces crabs, halves
2 cans(400 ml) coconut milk
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thumb-sized ginger,pounded
1 onion, chopped
2-3 pieces green chili(siling haba)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 squash(kalabasa), peeled and cut into cubes(optional)
1 bundle string beans(sitaw), cut in 3 inches long(optional)

Procedures:
1. In a saucepan, heat oil and saute ginger, garlic and onion.
2. Add crabs, water, salt and pepper. Bring to boil for 5 minutes or until water is almost absorb.
3. Pour coconut milk, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. Add the green chili, squash and string beans. Simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
5. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
6. Simmer until sauce is thicken. Serve hot.