It was Ida’s turn to pick the “featured ingredient” for our SlowTrav Small Bites challange. She chose crab. I am going to continue to try to create an original recipe for each ingredient. So here’s my effort for crab.

THAI CRAB CUPS (yield approximately 45 cups)
2 tbs sesame or peanut oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh red chili, minced
1 thumb-size piece ginger, diced into sticks
¼ cup white cooking wine
3/4 cups chicken broth
1 tbs. Thai chili sauce
1/8 cup ketchup
1 tbs. soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tbs. fish sauce
8 oz all white meat flaked crab
1 tbs. cornstarch powder, dissolved in 2 tbs. water
1 egg
1 1/2 cups prepared high gluten rice of your choice
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2/3 cup Thai chili sauce
3 green onions, sliced
6 long seedless cucumbers
½ cup shredded carrots
Bunch fresh cilantro
Step 1 – Filling:
Heat oil in wok and add the shallots, garlic, red chili, and ginger.
Saute 2 minutes over medium to high heat then add wine.

Add chicken broth, chili sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
Stir well over medium-high.

Add crab and stir gently for a couple of minutes.
Disolve cornstarch in water. Beat in whole egg.
Add the egg mixture to the wok. Stir well to combine (the egg mixture will thicken the sauce). Turn down the heat to low, and continue to stir.

Remove from heat and mix in the already cooked rice. Transfer to a sealed container and chill overnight in refrigerator.

Step 2 – Make the serving sauce:
Combine peanut butter and Thai chili sauce. Garnish with green onion.
Step 3 – Assemble:
Clean and cut cucumber in 1 inch pieces
Using the large end of a melon scooper, scoop out centers of each cucumber piece, leaving a bottom and wall to form a cup.

Fill with chilled crab/rice mixture
Arrange 2-3 carrot sticks and a cilantro leaf on top.

If you are not planning to serve immediately, cover with plastic wrap and chill. Can be chilled overnight if you like.