Sweet Chilli Crayfish (龙马精神)

“A savoury scrumptious crayfish dish to symbolise a life filled with strength and vitality!”

While it’s true that sometimes nothing beats the convenience and festive atmosphere to dine-in at a restaurant during occasions, it can also set you back $100 – 200 or more for a festive meal which you may prepare by your own. Same festive mood, home cooked festive meal also warms the heart of your loved ones, too! Try re-creating the experience with this luxury savoury at home for less than half that amount.

Crayfish, another symbolical dish for CNY. Crayfish often represents smart dragons, and hence, crayfish dishes will then be related with dragon in our auspicious greetings, just like this, 龙马精神, simply means strong and full of vitality just like dragon and horse.

Ingredients
4 tails of medium – large crayfish/ crawfish (虾婆), halved crosswise
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoons of dried shrimps (虾米干), soaked, drained and dried with kitchen towel.
1 – 2 teaspoons of sambal chilli paste
2 tablespoons of chili sauce
5 – 6 heaping spoons of ketcup
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
½ cup of sugar
½ cup of water
2 medium eggs

2 tablespoon of cooking oil/ butter

1 tablespoon of corn starch (mix with water to make into slurry)

Method
1) Rinse the shell of each crayfish. Drain on kitchen towel and set aside.

2) Heat a large wok with oil/ butter over medium fire. Add garlic and dried shrimps, stir-fry till fragrant. Reduce heat to low fire. Add sambal chilli paste, and stir fry for few seconds (beware of the pungent scent from the sambal paste).

3) Add crayfish into wok, and stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Add chili sauce, ketchup and water, stir-fry to combine well. Then, stir in vinegar, and sugar.

4) Increase heat to medium fire, cover with lid for 2 minutes, or until the shell of crayfish are completed cooked and pinked (its meat turns cream white).

5) Break eggs into a small bowl, briefly beat the eggs. Then, stir-in eggs to form egg drop gravy. Lastly, stir-in corn starch slurry to thicken the gravy. Heat off. Serve hot.

A portion of this dish (crayfish consumed with thick gravy) counts about 300kcal.

Today’s the eve of CNY. Any better idea for the reunion dinner now (smile)?

Anyway, Gong Xi Fa Cai/ Gong Hey Fatt Choy/ 恭喜发财!

Tips: Do not over-cook the crayfish to retain its bouncy texture.
* Get the fish monger to half the crayfish for you, for easy consumption. Simply twist the meat out of the halved shell with a fork.