Sichuan Ma La Crawfish

SICHUAN MA LA CRAWFISH

These crawfish, often known as crawdads, are a staple of the American summer table. For the Chinese, nothing beats a good plate of crawfish.

Crawfish has never been prepared in my kitchen. Some of these aggressive and powerful critters almost made me scream and ask for help.

These crawdads and crawmoms aren’t going to be easy to handle.

With a single mouthful, I realized that my hard work and efforts had been well worth it. Quite simply, these were a no-brainer!

Crawfish, often known as little lobsters in the area, is a summertime delicacy. With a beer in hand, crawfish is a guilty pleasure for many Chinese (particularly those in Beijing).

This delicacy has various health warnings because of the filthy habitat in which these creatures are taken, which is why I am guilty of it. Once you’ve had a taste of this stuff, you’ll never want to go back.

Each serving of this recipe contains only 129 calories.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg of crawfish
• 10 pounded cloves garlic
• 5 sprigs of cilantro
• 5 slices of fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 10-15 dried red chilies
• 1 tablespoon of sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1/2 cup of water
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make a saltwater bath for the live crawfish and soak for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Once they’ve been fully cleaned, rinse them a few times under cold running water. Cooking oil is heated in a wok. A spicy and aromatic flavor can be achieved by incorporating the following ingredients: garlic cloves, ginger, dried chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns into the mixture.
3. Immediately add the crawfish and stir for a few seconds, then remove from heat. Add the seasonings, water, and cilantro to the wok and cover it for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from the oven and serve.