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1
Clean the crabs
20 Mins
No heat — cold water, ~10°C (50°F)
Scrub each live crab under cold running water with a brush. Lift the apron, pull out the gills and the stomach sac, and rinse the body cavity clean. Rinse the crabs in cold salted water and drain them upside down for 5 minutes. Work quickly and keep everything cold.
Ask the fishmonger to show you the gills once: they are the grey, feathery flaps under the shell, and they must all come out.
Done when: Crabs scrubbed clean, gills and stomach removed, drained.
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2
Make the marinade
10 Mins
Boiling, 100°C (212°F)
In a large pot, combine the soy sauce, water, mirin, sugar, garlic, ginger, onion, Korean pear, green and red chillies and peppercorns. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes so the flavours meld and the marinade is sterilised. Take it off the heat and cool it completely to fridge temperature, about 4°C (40°F).
Cool the marinade in the fridge, not on the counter: it must be properly cold before it meets the crab.
Done when: Marinade boiled, fragrant, cooled to fridge temperature.
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3
First cure
5 Mins + 24 Hours
Refrigerated, 4°C (40°F) or below
Pack the cleaned crabs shell-side down in a clean container and pour the cold marinade over them until they are fully covered. Weigh the crabs down with a small plate so they stay submerged. Cover, refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below, and leave for 24 hours.
Every part of the crab must stay under the marinade: any part poking out will not cure and can spoil.
Done when: Crabs fully submerged in cold marinade, refrigerated.
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4
Re-boil and second cure
10 Mins + 24 Hours
Boiling, 100°C (212°F), then refrigerated, 4°C (40°F)
After 24 hours, drain the marinade into a pot and bring it back to a boil for 5 minutes. Cool it completely again, then pour it back over the crabs and refrigerate for a second 24 hours. The two boils keep the marinade safe and deepen the flavour.
Do not skip the second boil: it is the step that keeps a two-day raw cure safe to eat.
Done when: Marinade re-boiled and cooled, crabs back under it for a second day.
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5
Serve
5 Mins
No heat — chilled, ~4°C (40°F)
Lift one crab per person out of the marinade and place it on a plate. Drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and spoon a little of the marinade over the top. Serve at once with a bowl of steamed white rice — the rice is the point, so do not skimp on it.
Eat the crab with your hands and a spoon: crack the shell, scoop the meat, and mix the roe and juices into the rice.
Done when: Crab meat translucent and silky, shell deep red-brown from the marinade.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the ganjang gejang cold from the fridge, glossy with sesame oil and sesame seeds, with plenty of steamed rice — the rice soaks up the salty, savoury juices and that is exactly why Koreans call this dish the rice thief.
South Korea
1h 5m
