Garlic Snowed Black Bean Crab with Sambal

Posted by Dana Oshiro

Friend R. Hanson ponders his order at San Francisco's Spices II. Photo by: Dana Oshiro

When I first moved to San Francisco, my boyfriend and I stumbled upon a Szechuan restaurant in the Richmond District named Spices II. It was 9pm on a Sunday night with a line of young Chinese American couples out the door. Despite it's neon pink walls and blaring J-Pop music, we knew it would be good. We ordered the garlic snowed black bean crab with chili. It was amazing. We forgot that we were in public, rolled up our sleeves and let the shells fly. I've been trying to recreate the recipe ever since. Then I discovered Video Jug. While their selection of cooking videos is limited and they do not include a printable recipe, the videos are great just the same. Below is their version of black bean crab.

GARLIC SNOWED BLACK BEAN CRAB WITH SAMBAL

How To Make Crab In Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients
4 uncooked crabs (pre-cleaned is best)
3t dried black beans
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 clove garlic
1t grated fresh ginger
1/2 t sambal
1 T soy sauce
1 t brown sugar
1 T rice wine vinegar
200 ml chicken stock
2 spring onions sliced diagonally

Equipment
Frying pan with lid
Kitchen Spoon
Tongs
Knife
Chipping Board
Sml Bowl

Directions
1. CLEANING THE CRAB: (skip this process and just rinse if you've bought pre-cleaned crab)Take off each claw and clean in bowl of water. Slide knife under the front of the crab and then break in half using your hands. Clean in the bowl of water. Remove the membrane inside of the crab. Remove the feathers from the sides of the body. Chop the body in half using a large knife and repeat the process with the other crabs.

2. FRYING: Heat the large frying pan and add oil, garlic, ginger, sambal and stir and fry for one minute. Then add beans, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and stock. Stir and bring to boil. Add the crab and cover for 15 min stirring occasionally. Check half way through to make sure it isn't drying out.

3. ASSEMBLE: Place crab into bowl using tongs and spoon over sauce. Sprinkle over the spring onions.

TAGS: Black Bean Crab, Sambal, Szechuan
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