Chili Blue Crabs

To prepare live crab:
Start by using tongs to grab a live crab. Flip crab over onto its back and puncture it with a sharp knife, right in the middle. Yes, this is often painful to watch, but it has to be done. With your knife, split the crab in half, lengthwise. The important thing here is to remove the gills, up near the face, as well as removing the apron, near the bottom. Once those are removed, rinse the crab in cold water, and set aside, repeating the process.

Keep the crabs cold, covering with a bit of ice cubes. During this time, make the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add ketchup, rice wine vinegar, water, and sambal oelek. Stir well.

Heat a large wok, or skillet on medium heat, and let this heat up for a few minutes. Add oil, and then toss in shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add in crabs and toss crabs in the garlic mixture. Add the sauce. Carefully stir, and toss until crabs are coated.

Cook for about 15 minutes, if that, and then pour out onto a large serving dish.

Shower with the fried garlic and fresh cilantro, and dig in.