Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles (黑椒牛油蟹生麵)

Dad’s Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles is THE celebration dish! It’s exactly as the name promises – buttery and elevated with a gentle peppercorn heat. There may be a debate as to whether the slurp-worthy noodles or the finger lickin’ crab is the best part, so make it this weekend and decide for yourself!

For another restaurant favorite, check out Dad’s XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli (金沙粉絲蟹煲)!

A hands-on experience for everyone

Dad’s Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles is all about the noodle slurp and the messy (but incredibly fun) seafood eating experience. It’s also a restaurant experience that you can now bring home to your family!

In our Chinese-Vietnamese household, we don’t often cook with butter (since there’s always an oil with a high smoking point for all our favorite stir fries, deep fries and sauces). But ever since learning a few new restaurant recipes, the ingredient has been in regular in our fridge.

Why the sudden change, you ask?

Not only is it quick and phenomenal on toast, but butter’s also a fantastic way to add a subtle creaminess to a dish – Dad’s Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles is no exception!

Once cooked into the sauce, it thickens and creates a glorious gloss over the noodle strands. Pair that with the delicate sweetness of fresh crabs and you have a finger lickin’ experience that’s worth getting your hands dirty for!

How do you tell the difference between female and male crabs?

When Dad bought the seafood for his Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles, he opted for a male and female. He explained that females have roe/eggs (which is a delicacy in itself) while males have more meat.

So when he sets his mind to cook a crab dish, Dad often likes to get one of each gender. That way, you’ll get a balance of both flavor and meat.

There’s a very quick way of telling the difference between the male and female. On the underside of the shell, the female crab will have a round shape where the abdomen is. The male, on the other hand, will have a sharp ‘V’.

You can choose either based on personal preference, but both will work well in this noodle dish!

Why this recipe works

• Crushing whole peppercorns keeps the peppery fragrance subtle without it being too overwhelming.
• Using fresh crabs means the flavor is light and naturally sweet.
• Searing the egg noodles beforehand makes them crispy so they don’t get soggy quickly.

What you’ll need

For the seafood and noodles

About the ingredients

We use egg noodles for this dish, but you can opt for your favorite noodle. Just keep in mind that different varieties will require different cooking times.

When preparing the crab, we ask the seafood monger to cut it up for us. Then take it straight home and start cooking as soon as you can to maintain its freshness.

Alternatively, you can try cleaning and cutting it on your own using the guide from Nagi at RecipeTin Eats.

For the sauce

About the peppercorns

We use whole black peppercorns, which are different to the red ones you’d use in a Sichuan Garlic Chili Oil or the green ones for a Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) or Saliva Chicken (口水鸡).

The black ones are much less intense in flavor compared to their red and green counterparts, which is why we like to use them for soups with a simple taste profile.

How to make this recipe

Fill up a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Put the egg noodles in to cook for 5 minutes or until al dente.

Drain, then run under cold water to slow down the cooking process and let it drip dry in a colander.

Use a mortar and pestle to pound the peppercorns until they’ve all split open. Leave them aside for later.

Lightly coat the crab pieces in potato starch, then heat up a pot of oil until hot and add the crab pieces in. Leave the carapace (the head or lid of the shellfish) out of the frying.

Let the pieces cook for 5 minutes or until just starting to cook.

Transfer them into a bowl for later.

In a wok or pan, turn the heat up to high and pour 4 tbsp cooking oil in. Lower the heat to medium and add the noodles in, spreading them out across the surface of the pan or wok.

Note: The thinner the noodle layer, the quicker it will cook and crisp up.

Let it sear for 5 minutes or until crispy on the underside, then flip and repeat the searing until both sides are a golden brown. Transfer onto a serving plate.

Heat up the wok on high heat again and pour 2 tbsp oil in, followed by the butter. Turn the heat down to medium and throw in the onion and garlic. Let it cook for 2 minutes.

Season the aromatics with the salt, sugar, crushed black pepper and chicken bouillon powder.

Bring the heat up to high and pour the water in.

As soon as the sauce boils, add the cooked crabs in and give them a toss until every piece is coated. Let them cook for another 5 minutes or until just cooked.

Add the long spring onion segments into the sauce to cook for 30 seconds.

Transfer the cooked crabs and sauce onto the noodles then garnish with the coriander and chopped spring onions.

Serve immediately as is!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Fry the noodles in batches. If the layer you make in the wok is too thick, frying it in two batches will help to keep the crisp.
• Use hot oil when frying the crabs. This will prevent overcooking as you’ll take the pieces out quickly.
• Sear the noodles until crispy. Keep in mind that as soon as the sauce goes on it, it will immediately start to soften.

Make it a feast!

Our family loves to have celebratory banquets and Dad’s Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles pairs well with these favorites:

• Seafood Rolls and Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots are a must-have starters for our banquets.
• Pair the simple flavors of Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯) with Fried Pork Ribs with Black Vinegar (鎭江排骨) and Crispy Rainbow Beef (牛柳丝).
• Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic is a great way to cleanse the palette.
• Get festive with Grandma’s Fish Maw Soup.
• Dinner isn’t complete without a serving of Red Bean Dessert Soup (红豆汤)!

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