Vietnamese Roasted Crab in Salt Crust

• 4 whole fresh crabs
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon seasoning powder
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 3 teaspoons vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• How to make salt mixture: rice, glutinous rice, peeled mung beans, 1 pinch of roasted coarse sea salt, pound and sieve in advance and set aside in a jar to use later in other roasted salt recipes
• 5 roots lemongrass
• 3 cayenne peppers
• 1 knob knob ginger

1. Slice cayenne pepper and lemon grass, julienne ginger, fry all in boiling cooking oil until golden brown, drain oil and set aside.
2. Rinse crabs, lift and detach the carapace (outer shell) and set aside.
3. Discard the abdomen and gills.
4. Pound the big claws.
5. Crack crabs into halves.
6. Mix all the spices together: vinegar, sugar, salt, oyster sauce, sesame oil, seasoning powder, black pepper, minced garlic.
7. Put a skillet over the heat (a small and deep pot can help save oil/fat), wait until the oil/fat really boils, add pieces of crabs in and fry until fully cooked then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
8. Use a big skillet, add some cooking oil or fat, heat until it really boils, add the spice mixture in step 3 in and toss evenly then pour the fried crabs into the skillet and stir thoroughly until spices are fully absorbed, stir-fry over high heat in about 10 minutes then turn off the heat.
9. Add fried lemon grass, ginger, cayenne pepper and previously processed salt to shake well together.
10. Finally, transfer to a serving plate and garnish with lettuce and cucumber.
11. Served with salt, sugar, black pepper and lime dipping sauce.
12. Or mix chili sauce to dip as desired.

fresh crabs, garlic, salt, sugar, seasoning powder, sesame oil, oyster sauce, vinegar, black pepper, salt, roots lemongrass, cayenne peppers, knob knob ginger

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/261007-vietnamese-roasted-crab-in-salt-crust (may not work)