Chile Crabs
The Guajillo (wha-hee-oh) chile is the most common dried chile in Mexico after the Ancho. The flavor of the Guajillo is distinct, slightly fruity with a strong piney, berry under taste. Guajillo flavors dished easily so a little goes a long way. This chile is between a 2-4 on the heat scale of 1-10. Guajillo, combined with the Passilla and Ancho, form the holy trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces.
Suggested Use:
A mildly hot chile. Use in sauces, salsa, soups and your favorite chile. A little goes a long way.
Ingredients:
2 (about 4 lbs) Dungeness Crabs, cut into 6 pieces (each crab), reserved Tomalley, if any
2 Tbsp tamarind paste, softened with 2/3 cup of water, strained. Discard seeds.
1 Tbsp Sugar
Sea Salt To Taste
4 Tbsp Peanut or any vegetable oil
Sambal Paste:
2 Tbsp Dried Chiles, cut into smaller pieces
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
8 Shallots, peeled, chopped
4 Candlenuts (Buah Keras)
Instructions:
Make Sambal Paste: Soak the dried chili pieces with boiling water until they are soften, about 10 minutes. Drain the soaked chiles with a colander, and make sure to shake off all the seeds. Combine all the ingredients and process until it becomes a fine paste.
In a large wok or saucepan over moderate heat, fry the sambal paste with 4 Tbsp oil until fragrant. Turn the heat on high and mix in the tamarind mixture and bring it to a boil. Toss in the crabs. Stir well until the crabs are coated with the sambal. Mix in the tomalley, and season with sugar and salt. Lower the heat, closed with a lid for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the crabs are fully cook and the sambal almost dry. Dish out and serve warm or at room temperature.
From seasaltwithfood.com