shao xing hua tiao jiu

Steamed Mud Crabs

Steamed Mud Crabs

It was just after circuit breaker (only Singaporeans will know what I am talking about), and we were informed that a little semblance of life can return to normalcy, though not really all that normal. My wifey wanted to visit her parents and there was a visitation cap on the number of people that could visit seniors, and so, sonny boy and me went back to my parents place for dinner.

That same morning, as it was my practice to go to the wet market at Ang Mo Kio St 61, affectionately known as Market 628 by the folks that rebuilt it after the huge fire that swallowed it up back in the day. I thought that I would buy some mud crabs for dinner at my parents’ place – I bet they would love it – I love mud crabs too. The uncle that I always frequent usually sells them in his cages that he places on the slimy floors of the wet market. But the dirtiness doesn’t bother me. I love the old grind of the wet market, and the feeling of squeezing and haggling at the stalls with the aunties. Except that with Covid-19 concerns looming all around us, we had to be extra careful and maintain social distancing. It was tough.

Thankfully I have my new Copper Line mask from South Korea which I bought from the Singapore Airlines Kris Shop. The face mask was quite popular and is often sold-out, so I searched for similar brands that had similar properties, thankfully the Shero 4-Layer Reusable Copper Infused Face Mask is not bad, although the design wasn’t so nice.

The Copper Line Mask is structured nicely for better breathing, and it gave me the assurance of being able to remain focussed and staying safe. Although I am not really bothered by Covid-19 per se, I must admit the disposable face masks bothered me more as the smell of the masks made me unhappy.

Alas, I digressed. So uncle selected the crabs for me – I told him I wanted heavier ones and that I didn’t mind paying the price for them – two would just do fine for a nice steamed mud crab dish. Or I could do Singaporean Chilli Crab, but steaming style was always the best for fresh crabs as it brings out the best flavours of the sea. $30 dollars for two crabs, not bad, about 1 Kg.

* please note that I have included amazon affiliate links to the products I use in my recipes, so check them out if you wish to support me, but don’t feel obligated though.

Recipe

Ingredients

Mud Crabs – these are your local variety and they usually are between small to medium sized, so if you do get a large one, you should get it. I got two of them, and they were super fresh.

Garlic, Spring Onions – these are your best friends in any steam seafood dish, bruise the garlic slightly, and chop the spring onions in longer lengths.

Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu – I only use the most expensive bottle that I can find at NTUC, it is usually about $19 over dollars. The bottles all look more or less the same, but the price differentiates them. Of course, more expensive means better. Isn’t that the old adage?

Premium Lee Kum Kee Light Soya Sauce – I am a fan of this bottle of light soya sauce, nothing else will cut it for me.

Method

  1. Wash the crabs thoroughly, was an old toothbrush, if you have one. Give them the premium spa treatment for the sauna ritual later. Smash them good and proper, reserve the eggs (if you got the female ones) otherwise, a good smashing will help you when they are ready to eat.
  2. Decorate them with garlic, spring onions, two tablespoons of Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu, two tablespoons of the light soya sauce into the steaming pan. I like the metal pan that you can buy at any hardware store or NTUC.
  3. Steam the crabs over the wok for about 15 minutes over high heat and sufficient boiling water below the steamer.
  4. Serve with steamed white rice.

Bon Appetit!

Steamed Hairy Crabs

Steamed Hairy Crabs

I wished i could say that these beauties were from Yang Cheng Lake, in Shanghai, but guess what? They were from NTUC Supermarket. Surprise surprise.

Hairy Crabs are such a delicacy that most people would go the extra distance and trouble just to take the dish. So I am now presented with the next problem. How to recreate that wonderful dish? Thankfully I have had plenty of experience cooking crabs and I bet this shouldn’t be too different from our local variety.

I say steamed it. Plain and simple. That’s always the best way to cooking anything especially seafood. Add a little cooking wine like Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu and you are definitely on your way to a delicious steamed hairy crab – albeit cooked in your very own home kitchen. My place is no Michelin Star, but I have cooked my way into the hearts and stomachs of many.

And for the dipping sauce, I like mine with premium Lee Kum Kee Light Soya Sauce and lots of fresh young ginger slices.

Recipe

Ingredients

Hairy Crabs – you are the one to decide how many you want to eat at a go. (NTUC Supermarket sells them “live” at SGD 5.90 each <<bargain!>> and I got 6 immediately without hesitation – $35.40! wow.)

Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu – pour into the tray until the crabs all get their feet drenched (the more they are soaked in the wine, the deeper the flavours when you steamed them.)

Young Ginger – 3 inches would be sufficient (julienne the ginger into paper thin slices so that they would soak in the light soya sauce)

Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soya Sauce – just enough for dipping (I love this sauce. It goes into everything that I cook.)

Method

1. Wash the crabs, give them a shave if you really want.

2. They are alive, so leave the handcuffs on. Let’s just say they are ready to run if you cut them loose.

3. Place them in a tray or plate, drizzle enough Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu (aka Chinese cooking wine) until they all get their feet wet. Be generous, these guys won’t disappoint when they are fully steamed.

4. Steam them for 12 minutes. Not less; not more.

5. Slice the young ginger very thinly, and drop them into the soya sauce. Shiok.

6. Once they are steamed, just eat and dip in the sauce if you like.

Bon Appetit!

Drunken Sesame Chicken

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Drunken Sesame Chicken 嘛醉鸡

This is an improvement to my previous recipe Chicken in Rice Wine. That recipe is great but this is much better. I discovered that by adding more sesame oil and also hua tiao jiu together with the hakka rice wine, the results were a sweet caramelized chicken.

I like to cook this with chicken wings as they have the gelatinous fats that would be so delicious once you pressure steam and fry the chicken in a clay-pot.

Make sure you add just the right amounts of ginger and if possible fry them until they become brown and almost burnt. When the dish is done, your clay-pot might be a light charred due to the sugars in the hakka rice wine caramelising, some of the chicken parts are burnt slightly due to the heat, but that is fine. A delicious chicken dish with steamed rice or best with porridge or congee.

Recipe

Ingredients

4 Chicken Wings with Drunplets (separate the drumlets from the wings and also the wing tips)
Lots of Ginger *maybe 8-9 cm of one inch thickness* (sliced thinly)
1/4 cup of Hakka Rice Wine
1/4 cup of Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu
White Pepper
2 tbsp of Light Soy Sauce 
1 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp Sesame Oil

Method

1. Marinate the chicken parts with light soy sauce and white pepper. Allow the meat to marinate at least for 5-10 minutes.

2. Sliced the ginger thinly, and then heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a clay-pot over low fire. Then fry the ginger strips until brown and crispy.

3. Add marinated chicken meat into the clay-pot for cooking. Over medium fire continue to cook until chicken pieces turn whitish in colour. Add dark soy sauce and continue cooking over medium fire. Finally add the Hakka Rice Wine and Hua Tiao Jiu and allow the chicken to simmer and cook over a slow fire. Remember to close the lid. Once cooked serve with steam rice.

Bon Appetit!!