Recipe Ingredient
- 1 lobster, approx 800-900g
- Enough oil for deep-frying
- 12 dried red chillies, cut into 3cm pieces and rinsed
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2cm knob young ginger, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green capsicum, seeded and cut into diamond pieces
- 2 stalks spring onion, cut into 2½cm lengths
- 1 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiau cooking wine
- Sauce:
- 1½ tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp black vinegar (chit choe)
- 1/2 tbsp thick soy sauce
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 tbsp corn flour
Instructions
- Before you start, secure the lobster's pincers with strong rubber bands. Put the lobster flat on a chopping board. Pierce the centre of the head that has a cross with a sharp pointed barbecue skewer. Press firmly all the way down. This is done to paralyse the nerve and kill the lobster instantly.
- Split the lobster halfway along the back all the way to the tail-end, cutting through both the shell and flesh. Next, remove and discard the pouch of grit from the head. Remove any eggs along with the creamy, green substance. To dislodge the two claws, twist the joints. Put each half of the lobster on a chopping board and chop each into 3-4 pieces. Now, remove the gill from the head.
- Place the claws on a chopping board and use the broad side of your cleaver to bang or hammer them until the shell is cracked in different places then chop up each claw into two. Separate all the pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle a little corn flour and deep-fry the pieces in the hot oil until just cooked.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heated wok until hot. Add the dried chillies and stir-fry for a few seconds. Dish out the dried chillies, leaving the oil in the wok.
- Heat the oil again and lightly brown the garlic and ginger. Put in the pre-fried lobster and toss pieces around until thoroughly heated through. Add in the cooking wine and continue stirring.
- Add in the sauce ingredients and cover and cook for about 1-1½ minutes. Add the green capsicum and spring onion and stir-fry for another minute. When the sauce thickens, toss mixture briefly then dish out and serve immediately.