This is Dad’s XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli! Get a restaurant-quality seafood noodle dish that’s terrific for celebrations or to spoil the family with. The noodles are simmered in a stock until al dente, then smothered over a bed of mince and crabs stir fried in a homemade XO sauce. It’s so finger licking good, you’ll be reaching for more!
If you love the flavors in this recipe, try it with pipis!
A lip smacking finger licking meal
If you ever want to impress your family, Dad’s XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli is the best way to do it. For a dish that looks hard to make, you’ll be surprised at how easily it all comes together!
In our family, it’s a must-have for any holiday banquet, alongside classics like Ginger Scallion Lobster (蔥薑龍蝦), Black Pepper Butter Crab with Egg Noodles (黑椒牛油蟹生麵), Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms and Fish Maw Soup. It’s not everyday that we get to enjoy time with the all the relatives, so whenever we do, we always like to celebrate with great food.
And with great food comes fantastic experiences, especially when everyone at the table’s getting their hands messy from cracking open the crab shells. It’s all part of the fun!
Whenever we order this dish, all I hear is the lip smacking finger licking enjoyment as we slurp up the juicy meat and chewy noodles. The shells get their fair share of love too, because who can pass the spicy seafood sauce that coats the outside?
Not me, that’s for sure.
Now you can recreate this experience in the comfort of your own home, so make sure to add it to your weekend cooking list. Just remember to bring out the customary wet wipes!
Which noodles should I use?
Dad’s XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli uses the type of noodle that’s white and thin when dried, but almost transparent when cooked. Some packets label it as ‘vermicelli’, some ‘cellophane noodles’ and some ‘green bean thread’.
Cellophane noodles are not to be confused for white rice noodles (‘mei fun’ for the Chinese rice vermicelli or ‘bún’ for the Vietnamese variety). Rice noodles will appear white when dried and remain a milky white when cooked.
If you’d like to learn more about all the different varieties we use at home, check out our page for Everything You Need to Know About Asian Noodle Types.
Why this recipe works
- Cooking with fresh crabs adds a natural sweetness that frozen products won’t have.
- Using a homemade XO Sauce means you have complete control over the ingredients as well as its quality.
- Cellophane noodles are light, springy and keep their texture even after being cooked.
What you’ll need
About the ingredients
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.
How to make this recipe
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.
Transfer the semi-cooked seafood onto a plate for later. Pour out the oil until you have about 3 tbsp left.
Note: This step is just to seal the juices in, so don’t leave it to cook for too long.
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!
Recipe FAQs
If there isn’t enough liquid to cook the noodles, it will stay on the drier side. Add more liquid like water or a stock to gently simmer and loosen them.
If you don’t have any on hand, use corn starch as a replacement. You can substitute it in equal quantities.
You certainly can, but make sure to thaw them before cooking. Also be mindful of the time spent cooking the frozen crabs because the texture will be different.
Tips for the best results
- 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.
Make it a feast
- Start off with fresh Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜), then get the banquet going with Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots and Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns 割包).
- Line the table with Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Shallots (清蒸鱼), Seafood Tofu (玉孑豆府) and Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic.
- Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup (佛跳墙) is a nutritious and delicious way to soothe the body.
- End the meal with a classic Red Bean Dessert Soup (红豆汤) or Sago Soup With Taro (西米露)!
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XO Claypot Crab with Vermicelli (金沙粉絲蟹煲)
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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