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1
Place the peppercorns in a small food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, about 30 seconds.
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2
Add the garlic, turmeric, and ginger and pulse until you have a relatively smooth paste.
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3
Dont worry if each peppercorn isnt fully ground; bits and pieces of pepper are fine.
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4
If the paste doesnt puree properly and repeatedly creeps up the side of the food processor instead of grinding, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, periodically turning the processor off and scraping the unground portions down toward the blade as you go.
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5
Heat the oil in a wok, Dutch oven, or 12-inch (30-centimeter) skillet (nonstick works best) over medium-low heat.
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6
Test to see if the oil is the right temperature by adding a pinch of the ground paste.
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7
The paste should sizzle slightly around the edges, not fry aggressively or sit motionless.
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8
When the oil is ready, add all the paste and saute, stirring as needed to prevent scorching, until the garlic no longer smells raw and the paste begins to separate from the oil, 5 to 7 minutes.
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9
Add the water and crab pieces and raise the heat to medium-high.
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10
Stir-fry the crab pieces, stirring them constantly with the spatula to combine them with the flavoring paste and to prevent scorching, until the crab pieces are hot and their surface is evenly coated with the flavoring paste, about 5 minutes.
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11
Transfer the crab pieces to a large serving platter and serve immediately.
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12
Eat this delightfully messy dish with small hammers or nutcrackers and nut picks to remove the meat from the shells.
