Does this look familiar?
Yes, this snack (fried crabstick) will be available among the array of goodies when Chinese New Year is around the corner. The crunchy texture combined with the slightly salted taste makes this addictive snack rather popular in recent years. My princess is one such fan.
The price of a tub does not come cheap - from S$10 onwards. Why do I say not cheap? That's because if you buy the crabsticks (which are easily available in major supermarket) at S$2.15 per packet and fry it yourself, it will not cost anything more than S$5!!
So I went in search for recipes online to explore the possibility of frying it myself. After a few trial and error sessions, I'm so glad that I came up with a formula/recipe that caters to my requirements. I can make this myself now! And you don't need to wait till Chinese New Year to munch on this as you can make this anytime!
However, I must admit that it does take a fair bit of time and effort to produce these.
For 2019 Chinese New Year, I was feeling exhausted as the princess has just started Primary 1 (why am I more tired than her ah?). So I declared that I will not be making this crabstick snack.
However, I chanced upon this snack at a street market selling Chinese New Year goodies. After sampling a piece, I decided to make a comeback! Not only has the cost of a tub of crabsticks risen to S$18, it does not even taste nice! It has that "smelly oil" flavour which I hated. Yikes!
As I have an air-fryer at home, I made these using the supposedly healthier version. And the kitchen stays oil-free! Yeah to less cleaning!
Now there are a few tips I would like to share before air-frying
Brand
It has got to be this particular brand - DoDo. I've tried other brands and it just doesn't work - the crabsticks either fall apart even before air-frying or it taste horrible (fishy smell). So kindly stick to my advice and buy this brand. You can try other brands at your own risks but do not say my method does not work when you didn't heed my advice.
Peeling process
You need to peel the crabsticks in advance and let it dry (either in the fridge or at room temperature) for a few hours before air-frying them. If you have moisture in the crabsticks, you will not achieve the crunchy texture.
Do try to peel the crabsticks to be at least 1.5-2cm in diameter. The crabsticks may curl/shrink after air-frying. So if they are peeled too "thin", it may not be visible later.
*Disclaimer*
The following method is not from any particular website. This formula was achieved after many experiments and fine-tuning.
If the method is the same as any other online recipe, it's purely coincidental.
The ingredients (makes one tub)
2 packets of crabsticks
2 tsp of oil
 |
| That's all you need! |
Instructions
- Open the packet and remove the plastic sheet on each crabsticks.
- No washing is required. However, if you wish to wash, please make sure you pat it dry.
- Peel the crabsticks into strands, preferable 1.5-2cm in diameter.
- Let them dry for a few hours (either in the fridge or at room temperature).
- Line the base of air-fryer with aluminium foil. This prevents any accidental spillage of oil or loose crabstick to flow/stick to the base and it certainly makes cleaning much easier.
- Preheat air-fryer at 170 degree for 5 minutes.
- While the air-fryer is heating up, pour the crabsticks into a big tub.
- Pour 2 tsp of oil into the crabstick and toss evenly. From my experiments, if no oil is added, the crabsticks become hard and dry.
- Place the crabsticks (Batch 1) into the air-fryer basket, making sure they are evenly spread out. For a tub of crabsticks, I usually require 3 batches to compete it. Do not be impatient and dump everything at one go. I can bet on the dollar you will not achieve the results.
- Air-fry 170 degree for 4 minutes (Cycle 1).
- Remove the basket from the air-fryer and toss the basket so that the crabsticks will loosen up a little and be air-fried evenly.
- Air-fry 170 degree for another 4 minutes (Cycle 2).
- Remove the basket from the air-fryer and toss again.
- Air-fry 170 degree for another 3 minutes (Cycle 3).
- Remove the basket from the air-fryer and check. By now, some of the crabsticks will look nicely browned while some will still look whitish. Give it a final toss and try to let the whitish crabsticks to be on the surface.
- Air-fry 170 degree for 2 minutes (Cycle 4).
- Remove the basket from the air-fryer on a sorting tray.
- By now, you should see some nicely browned crabsticks - place these in a tub.
- As for the whitish looking crabstick (meaning not crispy enough), place these separately on a plate. You can air-fry these whitish looking crabsticks later.
- Continue with batch number 2 and 3.
- When all crabsticks have been air-fried, combine all the whitish looking crabsticks together again and air-fryer for another minute or so. Check constantly to see the colour of the crabsticks, sort out and air-fry accordingly until all crabsticks are finished.
- Seal the tub after the crabsticks have been cooled down. They can be kept at room temperature for at least a week.
 |
| Remove the plastic sheet from each crabstick and pat dry. |
 |
| Peel the crabstick into 1.5-2cm in diameter. If the crabstick is peeled too "thin", you will not see them after air-frying. |
 |
| After peeling, let them dry for a few hours. |
 |
| Line the base of the air-fryer. |
 |
| Place the basket in. Preheat the air-fryer |
 |
| Put all crabsticks into a big tub and add 2tsp of oil |
 |
| Toss evenly. |
 |
| Place the crabsticks in the basket, ensuring they are evenly spaced out. Air-fry 170 degree for 4 minutes (Cycle 1). |
 |
| After the end of 4 minutes, open the basket and give it a good toss. You can toss them using the basket but I prefer to use a tong. |
 |
| After 4 cycles, you should see the crabsticks in this way. Sort out accordingly - the nicely browned ones into the tub, the whitish looking ones on a plate (to be air-fried later). |
NOTE
- It usually takes 4 cycles (with various timing) to make a batch and 3 batches to make a tub. Be patient and do it batch by batch to achieve the desired results.
- Different air-fryer brands may function differently. Do adjust the timing and temperature accordingly. FYI - I'm using the Philips Air-Fryer.
- You can add in other flavours (curry or salted egg) after air-frying as well. But I prefer the original flavour.
- It may be a good bonding session with your kids if you ask them to help to peel the crabsticks.
 |
| My little assistant |
Now, this snack is highly addictive! Once you start eating, you can't stop! Don't say I never warn you ah....
 |
| Enjoy ~~~~~~ |
