Steamed Zuwai Crab with Hot Dipping Sauce

by Tataya Kudo - August 19, 2011

Inspired by my best friend's picture of baked large blue crab posted in my facebook, I made Steamed Zuwai Crab with Hot Dipping Sauce today.

Japan crab is really expensive. Even though, I love crab so much, during my one year stay in Tokyo, this is just "my second crab day".

Zuwai crab is the king of winter gourmet. The taste of Zuwai is extinguish, especially captured in Japan sea. With its long leg and succulent meat, it is the kind of crab that goes well with any recipe.

High brand and rare large size of Zuwai will cost you more than 20 thousand yen per one crab. However, where there's a will, there 's way. On one beautiful day, I spotted an incredibly cheap frozen Zuwai crab at the basement of Terminal building Kinshicho. This frozen Zuwai crab costs me just 450 yen.

Below are my quick and easy Steamed Zuwai crab with "Thai style" Hot Dipping Sauce recipe.

Ingredients

Crab

Ingredients for Hot Dipping Sauce

Thai garlic 15 grams

bird eye chili 20 grams

fresh lime juice 40 grams

fish sauce 2 tbs.

sugar 1 tbs.

water 1 tbs.

Method

With mortar and pestle, blend chili and garlic coarsely. Add in water, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Stir until the sugar completely dissolve. Set aside.