"CURRIED" CRABS

3-4 uncooked Dungeness or Blue Crabs
1 medium lemongrass stalk
2” piece of ginger
4-6 kaffir lime leaves
A couple of Thai chilies
2 garlic cloves
2 green onions
2 TB oyster sauce
1 teaspoon of salt
3 TB canola, vegetable or olive oil

Clean the crabs with a brush under cold running water. Snip off the gills with kitchen scissors. With a larger cleaver (in groove) of crab, split it in half. (Optional: scoop out some of the yellow bits and set it aside, this will flavor the dish more, then rinse out the halves again). Use a hammer or the back of the cleaver to crack the claws.

Chop the lemongrass stalks into small segments (use 3/4 of the stalk), peel the ginger and slice in half, de-stem chilies, peel the garlic cloves and toss it all into the mortar with a teaspoon of salt. Smash it all together with the pestle until it's pretty fine. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, use a food processor. Slice the green onions into inch long pieces and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil until it smokes lightly. Add the paste and saute until it becomes golden and aromatic, add the lime leaves and yellow bits that you've set aside, sauté for a few seconds. If the paste is too thick, add a little water to thin it. Add the oyster sauce and toss in the crab, stir until all pieces are coated. Then cover the pan and bring the heat down to medium. Cook for another 7-10 minutes then turn the heat off. Stir in the green onions at this time, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning to your liking if needed. Leave the cover on until you’re ready to serve it.

Messy, yummy, spicy, finger food. Best eaten with sticky rice, take a small ball of rice and dip it into the sauce, letting it soak thoroughly...Yum! I guess it would help to teach you all how to make sticky rice...