Whole Dungeness Wok Fried Crab

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion, white and green parts
• 2 teaspoons finely minced lemon grass, tender white part only
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and julienned
• 2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 5 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup chicken stock, homemade or low sodium canned
• 5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chinese chili garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped Chinese fermented black beans
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 Dungeness crab (about 1 1/2 pounds), cooked, top shell removed and reserved, cleaned,
• cracked in half, cut into sections, and claws cracked

1. To make the lemon grass sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a small saucepan on medium-high heat.
2. Saute the green onions, lemon grass, red bell pepper, ginger, and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, chili garlic paste, and black beans.
4. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the dissolved cornstarch and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce becomes glossy and thickens, about 2 more minutes.
6. Set aside.
7. To wok-fry the crab, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking.
8. Toss in the crab pieces (including the carapace or top shell), add the sake, and cover.
9. Allow to steam 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Add the lemon grass sauce and simmer until the crab is heated through and the sauce thickens to desired consistency, about 1 to 2 minutes.
11. On a large plate or platter, arrange the crab with the carapace (top shell) back on top so it looks roughly like a whole crab again and pour all the sauce over and around it.
12. You'll need crab-crackers, a side bowl for the shells, a stack of napkins, and bowls of warm lemon water to clean your hands.
13. Serve this with steamed white rice.

peanut oil, green onion, lemon grass, red bell pepper, ginger, rice wine vinegar, garlic, chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, chinese chili garlic, black beans, cornstarch, sake, crab

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/whole-dungeness-wok-fried-crab-recipe.html (may not work)