Thailand - Stuffed Crabs (Poo Cha)

Stuffed Crabs 

(Poo Cha)

This recipe is usually made with fresh crabs; the crabs are cooked, the meat is removed and mixed with the other ingredients, the mixture stuffed back into thecleaned crab shells, and then fried. If you would like to make the recipe withcanned crab meat, you can stuff the mixture into crab shells if you can find them, or any other type of seafood shells, or you can simply form the crab mixture into cakes without any shell.

Ingredients

-       Fish sauce to taste

-       3 tbsp Lime juice

-       1 tbsp Garlic chop fine

-       1 tbsp Palm sugar

-       1 tbsp Chili paste

-       6 Crabs, small OR

-       1/2 lb Crab meat

-       1/2 lb Ground pork

-       1/2 lb Shrimp or Prawns chop fine

-       1/4 cup Green onions chop fine

-       1 tbsp Coriander leaves chop fine

-       1 tbsp Garlic chop fine

-       1 tbsp Fish sauce

-       1 tbsp Corn starch

-       1 tsp Soya sauce

-       1/2 tsp Black pepper ground

-       1/2 tsp Salt

-       1/2 tsp Chili paste

-       1 Egg

-       Peanut oil for deep frying

Directions

-       Combine fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, palm sugar and chili paste in a bowl and mix to dissolve sugar.

-       Set aside.

-       If using fresh crabs, steam for 30 minutes or until cooked.

-       Remove crab meat from shell, being careful not to destroy the shells.

-       Mix crab meat, ground pork, shrimp or prawns, green onion, coriander leaves, garlic, fish sauce, corn starch, soya sauce, black pepper, salt, chili paste and egg.

-       If using crab shells, stuff shells with mixture.

-       If not, form mixture into 6 cakes about 3/4 inch thick.

-       Heat oil to 350F and deep fry shells / cakes for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

-       Drain on paper towels and serve with sauce on the side.

Yield - 6 shells / cakes