2 Ready-to-cook whole

-hard-shell crabs 8 Green onions

1 sm Red pepper

1 Piece (about 4x1-inch or

-1Ox2.5 cm) fresh ginger -root 3/4 c (180 mL) water

2 1/2 tb (37 mL) dry sherry

1 ts (5 mL) sugar

1 ts (5 mL) instant chicken

-bouillon granules 2 ts (10 mL) soy sauce

2 ts (10 mL) cornstarch

2 tb (30 mL) vegetable oil

1/2 ts (2 mL) sesame oil

1 Rinse crabs with water.

-Gently pull away round -hard shell on top. With small sharp knife gently cut away the gray spongy tissue and discard. Rinse crabs with water. 2. Cut off claws and legs. Pound claws lightly with back of cleaver to break shell. Chop down center of crabs to cut body in half. Cut each half crosswise into 3 pieces. 3. Cut onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Remove seeds from pepper. Cut pepper into thin strips. Pare ginger root. Cut ginger into thin slices, then cut the slices into very thin strips. 4. Combine 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the water, the sherry, sugar, bouillon and soy sauce. Combine remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) water and the cornstarch. Blend well. 5. Heat vegetable and sesame oils in wok over medium heat. Stir- fry ginger in the oils for 1 minute. Add cut up crabs. Stir-fry for 1 minute. 6. Add sherry mixture and pepper to crab. Stir-fry over high heat until liquid boils. Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 4 minutes. Uncover and stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook until sauce thickens. Add onions. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Makes 4 to 6 servings. From "Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook" by the Editors of Consumer Guide, Publications International LTD, 1980. ISBN 0-517-322455. Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 1 1993.