Thai Yellow Curry Stir-Fried Crab

Finely mince 1 shallot and 2 cloves garlic. Cut 2 stalks scallion and 2 stalks Chinese celery into sections. Slice ginger into 4 thin pieces. Cut 1/2 onion into chunks and slice 1 red chili pepper diagonally. Set all aromatics aside.

In a bowl, pour in 400ml coconut milk, add 4 tbsp Thai yellow curry powder, 5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and 2 tbsp sugar. Stir thoroughly with a spoon until seasonings are fully dissolved and blended.

Crack 2 eggs directly into the prepared curry sauce. Whisk well with a spoon until the eggs are completely blended into a smooth golden-yellow sauce, then set aside.

Pat dry the 2 cleaned and chopped crabs thoroughly with paper towels and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp cornstarch and toss gently by hand until each piece is lightly and evenly coated.

Pour 1 tbsp cooking oil into the wok and heat over high heat. Add the onion chunks and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the red chili slices and stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Immediately transfer both to a plate and set aside.

In the same wok, add 1 tbsp cooking oil and 4 ginger slices. Sauté until fragrant, then add the coated crab pieces and stir-fry over high heat until the crab starts turning color and ginger aroma is released.

Add the minced garlic and shallot to the wok and stir-fry until aromatic. Drizzle 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine around the edges of the wok, then sprinkle in 1 tbsp Thai yellow curry powder. Toss well until the curry powder evenly coats the crab pieces and smells fragrant.

Pour in 80ml superior broth (about 1/3 rice bowl) and stir with the crab. Cover the wok with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes until steam rises and the crab meat begins to cook through.

Uncover the wok, add the pre-cooked onions and red chili peppers, toss briefly, then place the 2 crab top shells flat and upright on top. Cover with the lid again and simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes until the shells turn bright orange-red and the crab is completely cooked through.

After 3 minutes, uncover the wok and add the scallion and Chinese celery sections. Toss quickly with the spatula until the greens are just wilted and fragrant.

Pour in all the prepared yellow curry egg sauce and stir to coat. Turn heat to medium-low. As soon as steam and bubbles rise from the sauce, immediately reduce to low heat and stir-fry continuously for about 1 minute until the egg sets into a silky, thick curry custard coating the crab. Turn off the heat.

Transfer the curry crab meat and vegetables into a deep serving plate. Place the 2 crab top shells neatly on top, spoon over the remaining silky curry egg sauce from the wok, and garnish with 1 sprig of fresh coriander before serving hot.