Crabs in Ginger Sauce

2 live mud crabs

3 tbsp. oil

10cm piece green ginger

1 small red pepper

8 shallots

½ cup water

2 tbsp. dry sherry

½ tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 chicken stock cube

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. corn flour

¼ cup water, extra

• Place mud crabs in freezer for half to ¾ hour; this will make the crabs go to sleep, so you can work with them without been bitten.

• Gently pull away round hard shell of the crabs.

• With small sharp knife, gently cut away the grey fibrous tissue.

• Rinse to clean crab.

• Chop off legs and nippers.

• Crack these lightly with back of a cleaver to break through the hard shell. (This makes it easier to get to and eat the meat).

• Chop down the center of crab to separate the body into 2 halves.

• Then chop across each half, 3 times; this gives six body sections of each crab.

• Remove seeds from red pepper, cut into very thin strips.

• Chop shallots into 2.5cm lengths.

• Peel ginger, cut into very thin slices, then cut each slice of ginger into very thin strips.

• Heat oil and sesame oil in wok or pan, add prepared ginger, sauté very gently for 2 minutes, add prepared crab, toss 1 minute.

• Add red pepper, water, sherry, soy sauce, crumbled stock cube and sugar, bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for 4 minutes, remove lid.

• Add combined extra water and corn flour; toss for 2 minutes or until sauce is boiling and coats crab well.

• Add shallots, toss for 1 minute.

• Serves 6.