Sichuan spiced fried mud crab is a heavenly dish, although very different to Hong Kong’s bei fung tong (typhoon shelter crab), which is topped with fried garlic. The Sichuan version is not for the faint of heart; it’s loaded with numbing peppercorns, black pepper and chilli. The seasonings are perfect with the succulent meatiness of mud crab. Eating it is a messy business, but part of the joy is that it’s finger-licking good. The crabs are cut into sections, deep-fried to seal in the sweet juices, then tossed in the chilli mixture. A drink to go with this dish needs to have freshness and purity to mix and shine through the chilli spice but, more importantly, to enhance the sweetness of the crab. The tannins in red wine will destroy the delicate crab meat and kick the whole dish out of balance.
