Entree: China – Shanghai / Hu Cuisine – 上海大闸蟹 ➤ Shànghǎi dàzháxiè (Seasonal steamed freshwater mitten crab prized for its rich roe and sweet meat)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 2

Approximate Time

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Total 25 min

Ingredients

2 live hairy crabs, approx. 8 oz (225 g) each (estimate: Hairy crab is retained as the named ingredient. For a practical catalog estimate, use cooked crab meat as a proxy; estimated edible yield is 60 g per 225 g whole crab, including meat and roe. Species-specific nutrition may differ.)
240 ml Shaoxing wine, plus a small splash for rinsing
15 ml light soy sauce, optional, for rinsing
960 ml water for steaming
240 ml Chinkiang black vinegar
30 ml light soy sauce for dipping sauce
80 ml finely shredded fresh ginger
12 g granulated sugar
2 scallions, finely sliced, white and green parts separated (about 30 g edible)
Optional: 2 small Chinese steamed buns (about 100 g total) or 2 servings cooked plain white rice (about 300 g total), for serving (estimated edible portion: 300 g)

Instructions

1. Rinse the live crabs briefly with cold water. If desired, use a splash of Shaoxing wine and the optional light soy sauce for the cleaning rinse; pat the crabs dry. Keep the crabs intact and secure their legs for steaming.
2. Combine the black vinegar, 30 ml light soy sauce, sugar, most of the ginger, and some scallion whites to make the dipping sauce. Reserve the remaining ginger and scallion whites for serving.
3. Bring the 960 ml water and 240 ml Shaoxing wine to a boil in a wok or large pot fitted with a steaming rack. Place the crabs belly-side up on the rack, cover, and steam over high heat for 12–15 minutes for crabs of about 225 g each. Rest, covered, for 3 minutes after steaming.
4. Transfer the cooked crabs to a platter. Serve whole with the dipping sauce and reserved ginger and scallion whites. Provide picks or crab crackers so diners can extract the meat and roe. Serve the optional buns or cooked rice alongside.
5. If desired, add a small splash of warm Shaoxing wine to the dipping sauce at serving.