Taste of Homeland: Fragrant Oil Crab

Hearing that we were coming to visit, Binh and his wife closed their shop in Tam Ky city and drove straight home to Tam Tien commune (Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam).

Speaking of Tam Tien, but bordering Ha Thanh beach, Tam Thanh is famous in Tam Ky with its mural village, smooth sand and clear blue water. "Dad, tonight invite some of us to go to the beach to catch crabs, okay dad!". As soon as he got home, seeing his father busy in the kitchen, Binh spoke up. What father wouldn't be moved by his daughter's "whining"?

With just a simple recipe, you have crispy crab dish.

PHOTO: ANH QUAN

After a light afternoon snack, we followed Binh's father with hoes and shovels to the sea. After the storm, the sea was bright and cool under the moonlight. According to the host, at dusk, the crabs (a type of wind crab, locally called crabs) opened their caves to prepare to eat. We aimed at the hole and dug, sometimes holding a willow branch and poking it into the cave to know the direction and depth. The fine sand was easy to dig but also easy to collapse, so we had to dig wider and then bend down to use our hands to dig along. When we touched the crab, we quickly grabbed its shell, pressed it down and put it in the basket, don't let it clamp our hands with its two pincers or run away. We dug so hard, but sometimes when we got there, there were no crabs, because they had already run out of the cave to eat.

After about half an hour, looking in the basket for about a dozen crabs and feeling tired, the group slowly left. Pouring the crabs into a basin, Binh's father removed the bib, picked out the eyes, washed them, broke them in half, then scooped them out into a basket and shook them to drain the water. Meanwhile, Binh ran to light the wood stove, put the pan on, poured in peanut oil, waited for it to heat up, added lemongrass, chili, and minced garlic, sauteed them until fragrant, then put in the basket of crabs and stir-fried them. The aroma of the crabs cooked in the hot oil mixed with the smell of the wood stove spread to the flaring nostrils of the guests who had just finished bathing and were waiting at the table prepared outside the door.

A few minutes later, the plate of stir-fried dry crabs was brought out. With only peanut oil and a few simple spices, the crabs became crispy, crunchy, and sweet in the mouth. Being of the same crustacean species as shrimp and crab, of course, during the full moon season, the crabs are often spongy, the meat is not as dense and fragrant as when it is dark. But it does not matter when people eat with the joy of experiencing digging crabs under the moonlight on a peaceful beach with the sound of waves and in the warmth, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness of the host.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/huong-vi-que-huong-thom-thao-cong-dau-185250621211235545.htm