CRAB: This is a popular way ito serve soft-shell crabs in Chinese restaurants. The shells on these crabs are so soft that when they are deep-fried, they are succulent in flavour and slightly crispy-tender in texture.

DEEP FRY SOFT-SHELL CRABS:

 

6 large soft-shell crabs, previously frozen                              

2 egg whites

1 cup + 2 tbsp. cornstarch                               

2 tbsp. ice water

1 tbsp. hot sauce or chili oil                            

2 tsp. salt

cooking oil for deep frying

 

In a small bowl, mix egg whites, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, water and hot sauce/chili oil together. Rinse and pat dry crabs and add crabs and coat them thoroughly with the cornstarch mixture. Transfer crabs to a glass dish; wrap dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate crabs for 2 hours.

In a large non stick saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying until 375 degrees or until a  dry clean chopstick, inserted into hot oil, gives rise to instantaneous bubbles rising to the top. Working with 2 at a time, remove the crabs from the marinade and dredge them in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Add the crabs carefully into hot oil and deep fry, turning once with tongs, until cooked through and crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the crabs.

Serve at once.