Crispy Kkanpung Kkotge (Spicy Garlic Blue Crab)
A special dish of potato starch-coated, crispy fried blue crab tossed in a spicy, savory sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Blue crab is fried at high heat until crispy so you can enjoy it whole, shell and all. Tossed in a spicy and tangy sauce made by stir-frying vegetables in chili oil, it makes a wonderful snack or accompaniment for drinks.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Blue crab4 (2, small, large)
- Oniona little
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Red chili pepper1
- Large green onion (daepa)2 tbsp (minced)
- Chili oil2 tbsp
- Potato starch1/4 cup
Sauce
- Doubanjiang (chili bean paste) (or oyster sauce, regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Water3 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Vinegar1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Prepare 4 small blue crabs, or 2 large ones.
- For children, substitute regular cooking oil for chili oil, and use bell pepper or sweet paprika instead of Cheongyang chili pepper.
Steps
1. Here are 4 small blue crabs. If using large ones, preparing two will be enough.
I bought them for jjigae or soup, but the shells are soft, so I decided to fry them.
Clean the blue crabs and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Season lightly by sprinkling a little salt and ground black pepper.
For cleaning blue crabs, see here ⇒ http://blog.naver.com/ppunwife/140043367432
2. Finely chop the chili peppers, onion, and large green onion (daepa) for the sauce.
3. Coat the blue crabs evenly with potato starch, let them sit for a moment until the starch turns moist against the crab,
and then coat both sides once more. Once the starch has soaked in moistly...
You can also coat them in a batter instead: mix 5 tbsp of potato starch with egg white, and if the batter
feels too thick, mix in a little water.
4. Fry on both sides until golden brown and crispy.
5. Drain the excess oil on paper towels...
6. In a heated pan, add the chili oil and minced garlic, stir-fry until fragrant...
To make your own chili oil, see here ⇒ http://blog.naver.com/ppunwife/140040800941
7. Add the minced onion, chili peppers, and large green onion (daepa)...
8. Pour in the sauce liquid, except for the toasted sesame oil...
It is convenient to mix all the sauce ingredients ahead of time.
10
9. Bring to a bubbling boil, and adjust the seasoning with salt if it tastes bland...
10. Add the toasted sesame oil and the fried blue crabs, and toss well.
Ppunwife's tips
- Since you eat the crab whole including the shell, it is best to fry it thoroughly and crisp at high heat (180 °C).
FAQ
How should I fry the blue crabs so the shells are safe to eat?
To eat them shell and all, it is best to fry them until golden and crispy at a high temperature of around 180 °C.
How do I adjust the spiciness when cooking for kids?
Use regular cooking oil instead of chili oil, and substitute bell pepper or sweet paprika for the Cheongyang chili peppers.
What can I substitute if I don't have doubanjiang?
You can make the sauce by using an equal amount of oyster sauce or regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) instead of doubanjiang.
Can I fry the crab coated only in potato starch instead of frying mix?
Yes, you can coat it in potato starch, let it turn moist, and fry it directly, or mix potato starch with egg white and a little water to form a thick batter before frying.
