Yancheng Long Xia

Yancheng Long Xia — Salted Yancheng Lobster (盐焗龙虾)

A classic Yancheng preparation from the Jiangsu coast, where small lobsters are gently steamed in a dry wok until the meat is just set and the shells turn a vivid scarlet. The method relies entirely on the freshness of the crustacean — no heavy seasoning, no sauce, just pure sweet, briny lobster eaten with a light soy dip.

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

Serves

2

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1½ lb) small Yancheng lobsters (long xia), about 3 lobsters, 230 g (½ lb) each, live, very fresh; cannot be substituted with frozen without losing the dish's character
• •30 g (2 tbsp) coarse sea salt, or null
• •10 g (1 tbsp) Shaoxing wine, optional, splash into the wok water
• •3 g (1 tsp) ginger, sliced, or null
• •2 g (2 stalks) spring onion, white parts only, or null
• •4 g (2 tsp) light soy sauce, for the dipping sauce, or null
• •2 g (1 tsp) Chinkiang black vinegar, for the dipping sauce, or null
• •1 g (½ tsp) caster sugar, for the dipping sauce, or null

Steps

1. 1 Inspect each lobster: it must be alive (tail curls when touched, legs active) — discard any that are dead, soft-shelled, or smell off. Buy within hours of cooking; lobsters do not store well alive in a home fridge.
2. 2 Rinse the lobsters briefly under cold running water. Do not remove the claws or bands. Pat dry with a clean towel.
3. 3 Prepare a wok with a steaming rack. Add about 2 cm (¾ in) of water, the Shaoxing wine (if using), ginger slices and spring onion whites. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
4. 4 Sprinkle the coarse sea salt evenly over the steaming rack (it cushions the shells and seasons very lightly).
5. 5 Place the lobsters on the rack, heads pointing in the same direction. Cover tightly with the wok lid.
6. 6 Steam over medium-high heat for 12–14 minutes for 230 g (½ lb) lobsters, adding 1–2 minutes per extra 50 g (2 oz) of weight. The shells will turn a uniform bright red and the antennae joints will pull away cleanly from the body.
7. 7 Doneness check: insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the tail meat at the joint — it must reach 63 °C / 145 °F. Alternatively, the tail meat should be opaque white, firm to the touch, and pull easily from the shell with no translucent flesh.
8. 8 Transfer lobsters to a platter and let them rest 2 minutes before serving — this keeps the juices in the meat.
9. 9 Stir the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
10. 10 Serve hot, with small picks for the legs and a finger bowl of warm water with lemon slices. Crack the claws first, then the tail, and dip the meat in the soy–vinegar sauce.