XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli (金沙粉絲蟹煲)

XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli in a pot.

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XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli (金沙粉絲蟹煲)

Make restaurant-quality XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli! The noodles are simmered until al dente, then smothered over crabs stir fried in XO sauce!

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Noodle Soaking Time10

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Jeannette

Ingredients

2 crab (we used one male and one female mud crab)
200 g / 0.44 lb pork mince
250 g / 0.55 lb vermicelli (a.k.a. cellophane noodles or green bean thread; pre-soak in cool water for 10 minutes, then drain to drip dry in a colander)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 sprig spring onion/scallion (finely chopped for garnishing)
1/2 clove garlic (finely chopped)
80 g / 0.18 lb XO sauce (or to taste; reserve 2 tsp for the pork)
9 tbsp oil (3 tbsp for the crabs, 2 tbsp for the pork, 4 tbsp for the noodles, plus more for frying the crabs)
1 US cup chicken and pork stock (or to preference)
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder (1/4 tbsp for the crabs and 3/4 tbsp for the pork)
4 tbsp potato starch

Instructions

Lightly dust the crab shells with the potato starch. You want just enough to coat them without the layer getting too thick.
Note: This is just to help absorb and lock in the moisture before it gets fried.
Heat the oil in the wok or pan on high and put the crab pieces in to fry for 1 minute or until the color just changes to orange.
Note: This step is just to seal the juices in, so don't leave it to cook for too long.
Transfer the semi-cooked seafood onto a plate for later. Pour out the oil until you have about 3 tbsp left.
Turn the heat to medium and add half the chopped garlic and onion to cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Increase the heat up to high, then add the semi-cooked crabs into the wok and stir fry it with the XO sauce (leave 2 tsp behind for the mince), 1/4 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tbsp chicken bouillon powder for 1 minute or until cooked.
Pour the contents into a serving bowl, plate or claypot.
Turn the heat back to medium and pour 2 tbsp oil in. Add the remaining garlic and onion to cook for 20 seconds, then increase the heat back up to high and pour the pork mince in.
Season with 2 tsp XO sauce and 3/4 tbsp chicken bouillon powder. Break the mince up and stir for 3 minutes or until cooked, then toss in the Shaoxing rice wine and stir.
Pour the cooked meat into the serving dish over the crabs.
Combine the stock with 1/4 tsp salt and the dark soy sauce in a separate bowl. Pour 4 tbsp oil into the wok or pan along with the stock mixture and noodles. Use chopsticks to quickly separate the noodles before they clump.
Stir the liquid through and let it simmer for 3 minutes or until the color is absorbed into the noodles. When done, pour it onto the cooked mince in the serving dish.
To serve, garnish with the chopped scallions, mix all the layers together and enjoy the XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli hot as is!

Notes

Don't overcook the crab. If you fry it for too long, the meat will lose its natural juices and become dry.
Use fresh crabs. There's nothing quite like the natural sweetness of fresh seafood, so opt for good quality crabs for a juicy bite.
Make your own sauce. It might take extra time, but using your own XO Sauce ensures that you have premium ingredients with your preferred taste cooked into the dish. You can make a large batch and store it for future recipes.
Break the mince up. As soon as the pork hits the heat, use a utensil like a wooden spatula to separate the ground pork. The smaller the pieces, the better it will mix in with the noodles.
Use cellophane noodles/green bean thread, which can also be labelled as 'vermicelli'. They appear white when dried but will become semi-transparent when cooked. These are different to Chinese mei fun and Vietnamese bún, which remain a milky white when cooked.
While vermicelli is our preferred noodle choice, you can substitute it for any that you prefer. Just keep in mind that different varieties will have different cooking times.
We make our own XO Sauce and keep it in a jar in the fridge to use for recipes like this, but if you don't have any on hand then you can buy them from Asian supermarkets. Shops will often keep it near the pay counter as they can be expensive. The brand we often use is Lee Kum Kee.
You can buy mud crabs fresh from the seafood market and we ask the fishmonger to cut them for us. You can also do it yourself at home with any crab species you prefer, but we find it easier having it done by a professional. Just give the crabs a rinse when you get home.

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