Looking for a crab recipe to take advantage of the crab season? Look no further than Vietnamese salt and pepper crab or Cua Rang Muối Tiều. This dish has the perfect blend of sweet crabmeat and the bold yet simple flavors of salt and pepper.
In this recipe I work with whole crabs and handle the cutting myself. Since the crabs are raw, it is best to deep fry them first to keep the meat intact. Deep frying also provides a thin crispy crust for added wonderful texture.
If the thought of butchering live crabs is too intimidating, pre-cooked crabs are available in many supermarkets and can be used for this recipe. Skip the deep-fat frying step and go straight to wok-frying with the aromatics for a delicious and hassle-free meal.
To make this dish irresistible, consider adding a dash of MSG for an extra umami kick. And don’t forget to keep plenty of napkins handy. There is no other way to enjoy it than using your fingers. It will be messy but oh-so worth it.
Recipe below. Happy cooking!
