--- title: "Crayfish (小龙虾)" description: "This dish is Mala (Numbing & Spicy), fragrant, and fresh, with tender and juicy crayfish meat. It is a classic Sichuan-Hunan style Drinking Snacks, and making it at home is clean and affordable. Crayfish are rich in high-quality protein and various trace elements, but the broth contains a lot of oil and salt, so it is best enjoyed occasionally." image: "https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_xiao-long-xia.jpg" url: "https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/aquatic_xiao-long-xia/" --- # Crayfish **小龙虾 · xiǎo lóng xiā** > Time: 45 min · Difficulty: Hard · Calories: 571 kcal · Serves: 1 serving · Category: [Seafood](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/c/aquatic/) (水产) This dish is Mala (Numbing & Spicy), fragrant, and fresh, with tender and juicy crayfish meat. It is a classic Sichuan-Hunan style Drinking Snacks, and making it at home is clean and affordable. Crayfish are rich in high-quality protein and various trace elements, but the broth contains a lot of oil and salt, so it is best enjoyed occasionally. ![](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_xiao-long-xia.jpg) ## Ingredients - 1 kg Crayfish (小龙虾) — per serving - Tip: Choose live crayfish with a whiter belly. - 70 ml Cooking oil (油) — per serving - Tip: Regular vegetable oil is fine. - 2 slices Bay leaves (香叶) — per serving - Tip: Dry and free of mold. - 1 piece Star anise (八角) — per serving - Tip: Whole grains with a strong aroma. - 3 g Cassia bark (桂皮) — per serving - Tip: Dry with a strong woody texture. - 10 g Green Sichuan peppercorns (青花椒) — per serving - Tip: Plump grains with a strong numbing flavor. - 10 g Sichuan peppercorns (花椒) — per serving - Tip: Bright red color is best. - 5 g Bullet chili (子弹头辣椒) — per serving - Tip: Has a strong spicy and fragrant flavor. - 1 stalk Scallion (white part) Scallion (葱) — per serving - Tip: Fresh Scallion. - 30 g Ginger (姜) — per serving - Tip: Old Ginger gives a better flavor. - 7 cloves Garlic Garlic (蒜) — per serving - Tip: Plump and not sprouted. - 30 g Pixian broad bean chili paste (郫县豆瓣) — per serving - Tip: Bright red oil color is best. - 30 g Soybean paste (黄豆酱) — per serving - Tip: Regular Soybean paste is fine. - 500 ml Beer (啤酒) — per serving - Tip: Regular light-colored Beer, to remove fishiness and enhance freshness. - 30 ml Light soy sauce (生抽) — per serving - Tip: Regular Light soy sauce for seasoning. - 10 g Salt (盐) — per serving - Tip: Regular Salt. ## Tools Brush, Cleaver / chef's knife, Cutting board, Wok ## Method (7 steps) 1. **Prep the Ingredients** — Scrub the Crayfish clean and remove the vein. Cut the Scallion into 2cm pieces. Mince the Ginger and Garlic. - Duration: 15 min - Tip: Removing the vein can be challenging for beginners. If you can accept it, you can skip removing the vein to preserve the meat's texture. ![Step 1: Prep the Ingredients](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_1.jpg) 2. **Fry the Spices** — Heat the Cooking oil. When the oil is slightly warm, add the Bay leaves, Star anise, Cassia bark, green Sichuan peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, and Bullet chili. - Duration: 1 min - Tip: Do not let the oil temperature get too high, to prevent the spices from burning. ![Step 2: Fry the Spices](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_2.jpg) 3. **Add Scallion, Ginger, and Garlic** — After the spices release their aroma, add the Scallion, Ginger, and Garlic to the wok. - Duration: 30 sec ![Step 3: Add Scallion, Ginger, and Garlic](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_3.jpg) 4. **Fry the Sauce** — After the Scallion, Ginger, and Garlic are fragrant, add the Pixian doubanjiang and Soybean paste. Fry until the red oil is released. - Duration: 1 min - Tip: Fry slowly over medium-low heat to avoid the doubanjiang sticking to the wok. ![Step 4: Fry the Sauce](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_4.jpg) 5. **Stir-Fry the Crayfish** — Add the Crayfish and stir-fry until they change color. - Duration: 3 min - Tip: Stir-fry for a bit longer at this stage, which is like pan-frying in oil, for a better texture. ![Step 5: Stir-Fry the Crayfish](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_5.jpg) 6. **Add Liquids and Season** — Add the Beer. Once the Beer boils, add the Light soy sauce and Salt. - Duration: 2 min - Tip: The amount of Beer should cover more than half of the crayfish. ![Step 6: Add Liquids and Season](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_6.jpg) 7. **Simmer and Serve** — Once the Crayfish are fully cooked, remove them from the heat. - Duration: 10 min - Tip: Be sure to ensure they are fully cooked to guarantee food safety. ![Step 7: Simmer and Serve](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_xiao-long-xia/step_7.jpg) ## Tips - For home cooking, it is recommended to pan-fry with slightly more oil than usual instead of deep-frying, which saves oil and is delicious. - The texture of the crayfish meat after removing the vein is slightly worse than without removing it. Beginners can choose based on their needs. - Be careful when handling live crayfish to avoid getting pinched. ## Overview image ![Crayfish — ingredients and steps overview](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/overview/other_xiao-long-xia_overview.jpg) ## Source Recipe text from [HowToCook](https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook), structured by [Vibe Cook](https://github.com/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend). Public domain (Unlicense). Original: https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook/blob/master/dishes/aquatic/小龙虾/小龙虾.md ## Related recipes - [Sichuan-Style Grilled Fish](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/aquatic_chuan-wei-kao-yu/) - [Curry Stir-Fried Crab](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/aquatic_ga-li-chao-xie/) - [Boiled Fish in Broth](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/aquatic_shui-zhu-yu/) - [Braised Prawns in Oil](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/aquatic_you-men-da-xia/) --- ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Recipe","name":"Crayfish","alternateName":"小龙虾","description":"This dish is Mala (Numbing & Spicy), fragrant, and fresh, with tender and juicy crayfish meat. It is a classic Sichuan-Hunan style Drinking Snacks, and making it at home is clean and affordable. Crayfish are rich in high-quality protein and various trace elements, but the broth contains a lot of oil and salt, so it is best enjoyed occasionally. 这道菜麻辣鲜香，虾肉细嫩多汁，是经典的川湘风味下酒菜，在家自制干净又实惠。小龙虾富含优质蛋白和多种微量元素，但汤汁含油盐较多，适合偶尔享用。","recipeCategory":"Seafood / 水产","recipeCuisine":["Sichuan","Chinese"],"keywords":"Sichuan-Hunan style, Drinking Snacks, Mala (Numbing & Spicy), Seafood, 川湘风味, 下酒菜, 麻辣, 海鲜","inLanguage":["en","zh-Hans"],"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Anduin2017 / HowToCook contributors"},"isAccessibleForFree":true,"license":"https://unlicense.org/","image":["https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_xiao-long-xia.jpg"],"nutrition":{"@type":"NutritionInformation","calories":"571 kcal"},"totalTime":"PT45M","recipeYield":"1 serving","recipeIngredient":["1 kg Crayfish","70 ml Cooking oil","2 slices Bay leaves","1 piece Star anise","3 g Cassia bark","10 g Green Sichuan peppercorns","10 g Sichuan peppercorns","5 g Bullet chili","1 stalk Scallion (white part) Scallion","30 g Ginger","7 cloves Garlic Garlic","30 g Pixian broad bean chili paste","30 g Soybean paste","500 ml Beer","30 ml Light soy sauce","10 g Salt"],"recipeInstructions":[{"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Prep the Ingredients","text":"Scrub the Crayfish clean and remove the vein. 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