- Nicola
How to Make – Garlic Steamed Dungeness Crab with Vermicelli
Updated: Apr 13, 2020
Living in Vancouver along the Pacific Coast we are spoiled by the abundance of seafood. One of my favourite ways of preparing seafood such as King Crab, Crab, Oysters, Prawns, Scallops in the shell, and Razor Clams is “steamed with minced garlic and vermicelli”. It is a common dish served at Chinese restaurants.
The seafood steamed with the garlic mixture really brings out the sweetness of the seafood, also it’s very easy and quick to make. Quick meals are definitely needed when caring for a 8 month old. My version of this dish includes unsalted butter, but feel free to change it to a cooking oil, but I find that the butter brings out a sweetness in the seafood.
For this recipe, I used a Dungeness crab, but feel free to use another shellfish.
Garlic Steamed Dungeness Crab with Vermicelli Ingredients: 1 x 2lb Fresh Crab, broken apart into sections - see video here for instructions 1 Bundle of Dried Vermicelli Noodles 1 Head of Garlic, crushed in a garlic press 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter or substitute with grapeseed oil or any other type of cooking oil Sliced Green Onions for Garnish Salt to taste
Directions:
Start by soaking the bundle of dried vermicelli in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes.
Next, prepare the steamer, in this case it was a wok filled with just enough water to reach just below the steaming metal rack. Turn the heat on to high.
Meanwhile, prepare the garlic mixture. In a small saucepan, heat the unsalted butter or cooking oil on medium heat. When the butter has melted or the cooking oil has heated, add the crushed garlic. Cooking the garlic first will soften the harshness of the garlic and bring out a sweeter milder flavour. Stir and cook the garlic for about 3 minutes. If it starts to burn, the heat is too high, turn it off and remove as the garlic is likely ready. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Select a steam proof dish. First put the top shell of the crab. Season lightly with salt. Then add the crab legs sections around the top shell, seasoning the exposed meat lightly with salt.
Next, add the soaked vermicelli into the top shell. Again, season with salt.
Next, add the garlic mixture to the vermicelli and the body of the crab.
Place the dish into the prepared steamer. Steam for about 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the crab. Just when it's about to be done, sprinkle the green onions on top, and cover again with the lid for about 30 seconds. Serve!