Steamed Blue Swimmer Crab with Lemongrass and Ginger

Steamed Blue Swimmer Crab with Lemongrass and Ginger
Ghẹ hấp sả gừng

• 1kg of swimming crabs (best alive)
• 20g ginger
• 1 bulb of garlic
• A hand full of fresh lemongrass

Method

1. Place the tray in the freezer and leave the crabs for 10 minutes – this puts the crabs to sleep. (Don’t leave them in the freezer for longer than 10 minutes, or they will be frozen.) Kill the crabs by pushing the sharp, slender blade of a boning knife, or a sharp skewer, through the face into the brain. Scrub the crabs with a clean kitchen brush under running water, then put them back-side down in the sink.
2. Remove the outer shell of the lemongrass, rinse it thoroughly, and cut it into 6-8 cm sticks, set aside.
3. Wash ginger, smash ginger and garlic (skin on), set aside.
4. Pour 1 litre of water into the steamer and add the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Bring the steamer to a boil over high heat. Add the crabs and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Cooking time should be adjusted depending on the size of the crabs. Approximately 7 to 10 minutes is typical. Turn off the stove when the crab shell begins to turn red and emits a distinct lemongrass-crab aroma.
6. Remove the steaming hot crabs to a serving plate and enjoy it while it’s still hot, as the Vietnamese do.
7. Served with sea salt, black pepper, lemon wedges, green chili-salt dipping or green chili-salt dipping.