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

Close up of Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles.

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

Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles is exactly as the name promises - buttery and elevated with a gentle peppercorn heat!

Prep Time45

Cook Time40

Total Time1 25

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 499kcal

Author: Jeannette

Equipment

Colander
Mortar and pestle

Ingredients

For The Seafood And Noodles

375 g / 0.8 lb egg noodles (1 small packet)
2 crab
4 tbsp potato starch (or enough to just coat the crabs)
spring onion/shallot (finely chopped and/or cut into long segments; for garnishing)
coriander (roughly chopped; for garnishing)
4 tbsp oil (for the noodles)
oil (for frying the crabs)
water (for cooking the noodles)

For The Sauce

80 g / 0.18 lb unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
1 onion (cut into strips)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tbsp black peppercorn
1 US cup water
2 tbsp oil

Instructions

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!

Notes

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.
Females crabs have roe/eggs while males have more meat. 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 opt for your favorite noodle. Just keep in mind that different varieties will require different cooking times.
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.
We use whole black peppercorns, which are different to the red and green ones.

Nutrition