Destination
Chiang Mai
The story
Poo cha is Bangkok's Thai-Chinese stuffed crab shell — a whole cleaned crab shell is filled with a mixture of picked crab meat, minced pork, water chestnuts, coriander, garlic, egg and fish sauce, sealed with beaten egg on top and deep-fried until deep golden. Served with a small dish of Thai sweet chili sauce or plum sauce for dipping. Sold at every Bangkok Chinatown seafood restaurant and Chinese-Thai celebration menu. The classical version uses whole small mud crabs (2 to 3 per person); a shortcut version uses jumbo crab shells with mixed meat.
Method
Clean cooked crab shells thoroughly. Wash and dry.
In a bowl, combine crab meat, minced pork, water chestnuts, onion, garlic, coriander root, spring onions, soy, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, pepper, palm sugar, egg, cornstarch and chopped coriander. Mix thoroughly.
Fill each crab shell with the mixture, mounding slightly.
Brush the top of each stuffed shell with beaten egg — this creates a sealed golden crust when fried.
Warm oil to 175C in a deep heavy pot.
Fry stuffed shells 2 at a time, filling-side down first for 3 minutes, then flip and fry the shell-side 60 seconds. Drain on a wire rack.
Arrange on a platter. Scatter with coriander. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce, plum sauce and lime wedges.
Instead of stuffing crab shells: shape the filling into flat cakes or cook the mixture in a small oiled pan as an omelette-style cake. The classical shell is dramatic; the shortcut is easier.
Tips
- Fresh crab meat. Frozen or tinned works but the flavour is a step down.
- Egg wash on top. This creates the classical golden sealed crust.
- 175C oil. A thermometer helps.
- Sweet chili is the classical dip.
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