Chinese-Style Steamed Crab

Who doesn’t love crab? I love crab, especially live crab that’s steamed Chinese-style. But if you’re like me, live crab is reserved for special occassions due to its priciness and for being a bit of a headscratcher for how to prepare.

But what if I told you that live steamed crab is actually quite simple to prepare? And that it’s way cheaper than ordering in the restaurants?

This is how we make Chinese-Style Steamed Crab with a pungent dipping sauce right at home — It’s SUPER easy, and sure beats the price of ordering at a fancy seafood restaurant. Best of all, you won’t even tell there’s a difference.

Steamed Crab, right at home and for less $$$.

How to get live steamed crab
(in 15 minutes or less)

Live steamed crab is simply the freshest kind of delicous in a crab there is. I love live steamed crab, but I can’t get myself to steam a live crab at home. Eek!

So I ask them to steam it for me.

That’s right. The easiest way to get your live steamed crab is to request that your fishmonger steam it for you. It’s usually part of the services provided, and only takes 15 minutes. Just plan it out right — order/pick out the crab and have it steamed for you the same evening or day you plan to eat it.

It’s not cruelty-free but it is the hassle-free method. It can save you the headache and heartbreak of taking home live crabs to steam yourself.

Go to your local fish market, or Asian grocery store with a huge seafood section
Point to the crab(s) in the aquarium tank
And request that they steam it for you.
In just 15 minutes, you’ll have it all steamed and packaged, ready for you to take back to your kitchen.
To reheat, steam in a tall pot for 5 minutes. Sometimes we want warm crab!

The Dipping Sauce

The crab is the main event. But the aromatic flavors and the savoriness of the dish come from this amazingly simple, yet deliciously pungent dipping sauce.

This super simple yet pungent and aromatic sauce is what my Wai Pwo whipped up anytime we were having crab or shrimp.

It's all in the Sauce

Ingredients for the Dipping Sauce

Just 4 ingredients is all it takes:

Garlic, 3-4 cloves, minced (the more, the more pungent)
Ginger, minced – slice about 3 slices, and then mince
Chili – any spicy pepper will do. Thai chilis, jalapeños, serranos, are all great. I used what we’d grown and dried out (to keep through the winter) from our own garden at the time the photo was taken: Malawi Piquante and Gong Bao peppers
Soy Sauce, 1/4 cup
Water – add about 1-2 tbsn of water so the sauce doesn’t get to salty. Add to taste.

Just dip each bite of the way

Instructions

Pour the soy sauce into a small-medium bowl, enought to contain and give the ingredients a swirl
Toss in minced garlic, ginger, and chili
Give it a few swirls to bring together
And then dip your crab meat with each bite and crack of the way!