Hot Wok Crickets
High in protein and rich in minerals, crickets are the most popular insect eaten around the world. In the Philippines they’re sautéed with vinegar, onions and tomatoes; in Mexico they’re served more like a bar snack–dry roasted and seasoned with salt and lime; in Thailand, crickets are simmered in coconut milk. These crunchy, sweet, earthy insects make for a great snack.
Wok-Tossed Crickets with Chives & Black Beans
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh crickets
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups chopped Chinese golden chives or flat chives
- 1 large shallot thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sliced ginger
- 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
- 2 tablespoons toban djan (hot chile fermented bean paste)
- 2 tablespoons salted Chinese black beans, slightly mashed with a fork in 2T Chinese rice wine
- 2 hot dried chiles (tsin-tsin or arbol)
- 1 tablespoon natural soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
Instructions
Place wok over high heat for several minutes. Add oil.
Swirl, and when it’s aromatic and rippling add the sugar, chiles, toban djan, chive pieces, garlic, ginger, shallot. When scorched with the ‘breath of the wok’ toss a few more times and add the crickets.
Toss for 90 seconds, add the beans, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss a few more times as liquids evaporate and serve immediately.
