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1
To kill the crab, either plunge it into a large pot of boiling water for a minute, or place it on its back on a cutting board and split the body down the middle with one quick cut with a heavy knife or Chinese cleaver.
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2
If you want to use the upper shell in the presentation, the first technique works better.
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3
Holding the crab body by the legs, pull off the shell.
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4
Discard the feathery gills on both sides of the body and the spongy mass in the middle of the back; rinse until nothing but shell and meat show.
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5
Pull out the bits of greenish fat from the corners of the shell; reserve if desired for the sauce.
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6
Rinse both the body and shell and drain thoroughly.
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7
Split the body of the crab (if it is not already split) into 2 halves with legs and claws still attached.
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8
Carefully crack each leg and claw segment with a mallet.
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9
Place in a large bowl with the oil, ginger, garlic, chiles and a generous grinding of pepper.
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10
Marinate for 1 to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
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11
Remove crab from marinade 15 minutes before cooking.
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12
Grill the halves and the shell over a hot fire until outer shells are bright red and meat in the largest sections is opaque (pry one open to check), 3 to 4 minutes per side.
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13
Or, place crab halves and shell in a roasting pan lightly oiled with a bit of the marinade and roast in a 450F oven until done as described above, about 12 to 15 minutes.
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14
Meanwhile, strain vegetables out of marinade and combine with the butter in a saucepan.
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15
Simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.
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16
Serve in small bowls as a dipping sauce for the crab.
