Fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolks

Ever since I went to Singapore earlier this year and discovered the wonders of salted egg yolks, I've been obsessed. I mean, who doesn't love IRVINS Salted Egg Fish Skin Chips?! I wish I could have brought a whole crate back to the states.

The hype is real. Luckily for me, I found a restaurant in San Francisco that offers salted egg yolk crabs! Golden Crab House is one of my new favorite go-to spots. I love that they have decently priced family style menu options and that reservations are easy to get. The only downside is that it's in the outer sunset, which is a bit far from where I live now.

So, naturally, I ponder about how I can bring this dish within the convenience of my own home. I decided to EGGsperiment again with some ingredients to try to mimic one of my favorite dishes of all time...

Fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolks

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 Dungeness crab (pre-steamed or boiled)*

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup tapioca flour

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 4 salted duck eggs (already boiled/cooked)

• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup evaporated milk

• 1/4 chicken bouillon powder

• ~2 tbsp chives or green onions (chopped)

• Canola oil for frying (enough to fill 1" within frying pan or pot)

Directions:

• Prepare Dungeness crab by breaking it down into smaller pieces.

• ​For tips, refer to this article on "How to Clean and Crack Dungeness Crab"

• In a shallow bowl, crack and whisk eggs. In a separate shallow bowl, add tapioca flour, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

• Add oil in frying pan or pot on medium high heat. Once hot, dredge each crab leg into the egg mixture, then into the dry mixture, then carefully add to the oil. Let sit for about about 3 minutes, then turn crab leg and let sit for another 3 minutes (or until batter is golden). Transfer to a plate with paper towel (to soak excess oil). Repeat until all crab pieces have been fried.

• With your salted duck eggs, use a spoon to remove the egg yolks and transfer to a new bowl. Mash with a fork.

• In a separate large cast iron or frying pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the mashed salted egg yolks and mix evenly with the garlic.

• Add evaporated milk and chicken bouillon powder. Increase heat to medium high and continue to mix all ingredients together until mixture slightly bubbles/boils. Decrease heat to medium low.

• Add chives (or green onions) and fried crab legs. Toss all ingredients together, ensuring that each crab leg is nicely sauced.

• Turn off stove and transfer crab and sauce to serving plate. Serve warm with preferred sides (e.g. garlic noodles, rice, vegetables).