How many minutes does it take for hairy crabs to cook?

The hairy crabs are the fattest in autumn. They have relatively high nutritional value, are rich in vitamins and minerals, and have relatively good therapeutic value. The purchased hairy crabs need to be steamed in water. Generally, if the water is boiling, they can be steamed for about 12 minutes. If they are steamed in cold water, it will take a little longer. When steaming with water, it is best to use medium to high heat.

Steaming hairy crabs with cold or hot water

It is better to use hot water to steam hairy crabs. What people who eat hairy crabs care about most is not the crab meat, but the crab roe. The aggregation and dryness of the crab roe are the key to evaluating a good steamed hairy crab. When steaming hairy crabs in cold water, the temperature rises slowly, and the hairy crabs will struggle in the steamer for a long time. The steamed crab roe will not aggregate but will be relatively watery. Steaming with hot water will shorten the crab's struggling time and prevent the loss of crab roe.

Cold water can be used to steam hairy crabs. Anyone who has steamed crabs knows that tying the crabs is a problem. If the tying is not done well, the crabs will break free during the steaming process. If you don't have a very good tying technique, it is recommended to steam the hairy crabs in cold water to avoid the crabs struggling violently and breaking their legs when they are put directly into the hot water steamer without being tied well. If the tying technique is very good, of course it is better to steam the hairy crabs in hot water.

How long should hairy crabs be steamed?

The steaming time of hairy crabs is directly related to the size of the crabs. If the hairy crabs you buy are 3 to 4 taels, they can generally be cooked through by steaming in 12 minutes. If they are over 4 taels, they need to be steamed for 15 minutes to be cooked through. There are many factors that affect steaming crabs with cold water. If you use high heat, it usually only takes about 20 minutes.

How to steam hairy crabs

1. Clean the hairy crabs with a toothbrush. You do not need to untie the rope that binds the hairy crabs.

2. Pour water into the steamer and bring it to a boil. Place the hairy crabs belly up into the steamer. Cover the pot and steam over high heat. Generally, hairy crabs weighing 3.5 to 4 taels only need to be steamed for 12 minutes; large crabs weighing 4.5 taels or more only need to be steamed for 15 minutes. The time cannot be too long, otherwise the crab roe will bubble and flow away.

3. Wash, peel and chop the ginger, smash and mince the garlic, wash and chop the green onions.

4. Put light soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, chopped green onion, ginger and garlic into a bowl, mix well to make dipping sauce and set aside.

5. Take out the steamed crab, untie the rope and place it on a plate. Dip it in the sauce when eating.