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Deep - Fried Stuffed Crabs
(Rellenong Alimango)
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| What You Need: |
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12 live blue crabs, each about 4 inches wide and weighing about ½ pound, or substitute 1 pound fresh, canned or frozen crab meat
3 tablespoons plus 2 cups vegetable oil
½ cup thinly sliced scallions, including the green tops
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 small tomato, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1¼ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 egg whites
2 egg yolks
1 medium-sized head romaine lettuce washed, separated into leaves and chilled
1 firm ripe tomato, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
2 lemons, each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
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| How To Cook: |
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1. If you are using live crabs, bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8- to 10-quart pot. Drop in the crabs and return the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the shells are a deep pink or red.
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2. Drain the crabs, then shell them in the following fashion: grasping the body of the crab firmly in one hand, break off the large claws and legs close to the body. Lift and pull off the pointed top shell or apron.
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3. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, loosen the large bottom shell from around the meat and cartilage, cutting near the edges where the legs were joined to the shell. Lift out the body of the crab, break it in half lengthwise, then with a small knife or lobster fork pick out the firm white pieces of meat.
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4. Discard the gray featherlike gills and tough bits of cartilage but save any pieces of orange roe. Crack the legs length-wise with a cleaver or crush them with a nutcracker and pick out the meat inside them. Set the meat (and roe if any) aside. Wash the shells under cold water and invert them on paper towels to drain.
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5. If you are using fresh, frozen or canned crab meat, drain it and pick over the pieces to remove all the bits of shell or cartilage.
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6. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Drop in the scallions and garlic and stir for 2 or 3 minutes. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.
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7. When the scallions are soft and transparent, add the chopped tomato and stir for 5 minutes or so, until almost all the liquid in the pan evaporates. Mix in the crab meat, 1 tea-spoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper and, stirring constantly, cook over low heat until the mixture is quite dry. Do not let the crab brown. Remove from the heat, taste for seasoning and set the mixture aside.
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8. With a wire whisk or a rotary or electric beater, beat the egg whites and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt in a deep bowl until the whites are stiff enough to form unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl.
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9. In a separate bowl, with the same beater, beat the egg yolks until they thicken slightly. Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg yolks gently but thoroughly into the beaten whites.
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10. To assemble each alimango, spoon about ¼ cup of the crab-meat mixture into the reserved crab shells or, if using fresh, frozen or canned crab meat, spoon mixture into natural scallop shells (not china or plastic), mounding the meat slightly in the center.
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11. With a rubber spatula, spread a 1-inch-thick layer of the egg mixture over the crab meat. Depending on the size and meatiness of the crabs, there may be only enough filling for 8 or 10 of the shells.
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12. Pour the remaining 2 cups of oil into a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet. The oil should be about ½ inch deep; if necessary add more. Heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. Fry the alimango 3 or 4 at a time.
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13. Slide each one gently into the skillet, shell side down, and, constantly dribbling the hot oil over the top with a large spoon, cook for about 2 minutes, or until the tops are puffed and golden.
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14. Serve the Rellenong Alimango hot. Arrange the lettuce on a platter, place the shells on them, and garnish with tomato and lemon wedges.
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