“Typhoon Shelter Stir-Fried Crab with Pork” focuses on just three key ingredients:

1. Crab: must be alive

• Best choice: meat crab (blue crab). Male crabs have firm meat, while female crabs with roe are more flavorful.
• How to check: it should feel heavy when lifted, vigorous, and the shell should be glossy.

2. Garlic: the soul of this dish

• How to choose: use single-clove garlic or regular garlic cloves for a stronger flavor.
• How to prepare: chop into uniform rice-sized pieces, rinse with water, and drain thoroughly. This ensures the fried garlic turns golden, crispy, and not bitter.

3. Oil and order: fry separately for aroma and crispiness

• Frying crab: coat the cut surfaces with a thin layer of starch to lock in the juices. Fry in hot oil until cooked, then remove and fry again for extra crispiness.
• Frying garlic crisps (key step): use low heat to fry the drained garlic until pale yellow, then immediately remove. The residual heat will turn them into perfect golden crisps. High heat or over-frying will make them bitter.

In one sentence: fry live crab with starch until crispy, and fry the drained garlic on low heat until golden. Mastering these two points will make this dish mostly successful.