| 2 | lg | Live Dungeness crabs; each about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds |
| 10 | | Fresh red chiles; stemmed, seeded and chopped or 6 dried Asian chiles, (3 inches long), stemmed, seeded, chopped and soaked in warm water to cover for 10 minutes, drained (up to 12) |
| 2 | tb | Minced garlic; or to taste |
| 2 | tb | Minced shallots |
| 1 | tb | Finely grated gingerroot |
| 2 | tb | Vegetable oil; plus additional |
| | SAUCE |
| 1/2 | c | Ketchup |
| 1 1/2 | c | Water |
| 1 | tb | Asian fish sauce; such as Nam Pla |
| 1/3 | c | Thai sweet chile sauce |
| 2 | tb | Fresh lime juice |
| 1 | tb | Cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water |
| 2 | lg | Eggs; lightly beaten |
| 3 | tb | Sliced scallion for garnish |
| sl | White bread as an accompaniment; if desired |
