「Clay Pot Crab and Shrimp」

Ingredients and amounts

• 500g meat crab
• 200g shrimp
• 450g potatoes
• 200g rice cakes (sliced)
• 100g onion
• 20g garlic (add an extra 10g if using shrimp)
• 15g ginger
• 5g dried chili peppers
• 30g green bell pepper
• 30g red bell pepper
• 20g oyster sauce
• 30-50ml cooking oil (add an extra 10ml if using shrimp; an additional 500ml is needed for deep-frying)
• 15g hoisin sauce (substitute: 12g oyster sauce + 3g white sugar)
• 15g soybean paste (substitute: 12ml light soy sauce + 2ml dark soy sauce + 1g sugar)
• 10g sweet bean sauce (substitute: 5.5g sugar + 4ml light soy sauce + 0.5ml dark soy sauce)
• 10g ketchup
• 40g starch
• 10g rock sugar
• 3g chicken bouillon powder
• 2g white pepper powder (add an extra 1g if using shrimp)
• 15ml cooking wine
• 20ml light soy sauce
• 5ml dark soy sauce
• 200ml beer (add an extra 50-100ml if using shrimp)
• 800ml water (add an extra 200ml if using shrimp)

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Step 1

   Cut the potatoes into 3cm cubes. Cut the green and red bell peppers into 4cm diamond-shaped pieces. Cut the onion into 3cm wide crescent-shaped wedges. Slice the rice cakes into 1cm thick pieces.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Cut the crab into 50-80g pieces. Lightly coat with starch. Deep-fry in oil at 180°C (350°F) for 1 minute, then remove.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Add oil to a wok or pot. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and dried chili peppers until fragrant. Add all the sauces and rock sugar, and stir-fry over low heat until the oil turns red. Be careful not to burn the mixture.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Add the crab, potatoes, beer, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Add the rice cakes and bell peppers. Increase the heat to high and reduce the sauce until it coats the ingredients. Finally, sprinkle with white pepper powder.