Salt and Pepper Crab

• Recipe by Mai Pham

Ingredients

1. 1 Dungeness or Jonah crab (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
2. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
4. One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
5. 1 shallot, minced
6. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
7. 1 teaspoon sugar
8. 1 teaspoon soy sauce
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
11. 3 tablespoons water
12. 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
13. 4 cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the crab until it turns pink, 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Remove and reserve the tomalley (the greenish liver). Using a large knife, crack the crab legs at the joints and quarter the body.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, ginger and shallot and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the reserved tomalley and stir to break it up. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, black pepper, crushed red pepper and crab and stir-fry until the crab is evenly coated with the seasonings. Add the water and scallions and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the crab to a bowl, garnish with the cilantro and serve with lots of napkins.