Baby Rice Crabs with Amaranth Salad and Kombu Dipping Sauce
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Feeds 2 - 3 people 
Prep time 5m
Cook time 10m
Description
These tiny rice crabs are perfect for deep frying. The shells are thin so the crabs can be eaten whole. Here we have deep fried them so they’re extra crunchy, and served them with a fresh salad and dipping sauce made with some stunning kombu black vinegar. The vinegar is really special - a rich black vinegar with lots of extra umami and flavour from kombu seaweed.
- 500g baby rice crabs
- 1 baby cucumber, cut into fine strips
- 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into fine strips
- 4 spring onions, cut lengthways into fine strips
- 20g amaranth
- 2 tablespoons kombu black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped (or to taste)
- 100g cornflour
- Oil, for deep frying
- Prepare a bowl of iced water and place the cucumber, carrot and spring onion into it, to crisp up.
- Combine the kombu vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic and chillies and mix well. Set aside.
- Heat oil for deep frying to a temperature of 180C.
- Dredge each crab in seasoned corn flour and deep fry until crisp and pink, around 5 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper or a clean dishcloth.
- Drain the vegetables and combine with the amaranth and half the dressing.
- Serve the remaining dressing as a dipping sauce for the crabs alongside the crabs and salad.
