Hanging crab leaves

Crab leaves are a major specialty of the seaside in Tanggu District. Whenever the sea recedes, people come to the seaside and shoals to pick crab leaves from their nests and eat them. Each nest has one leaf, and there are few empty nests. Crab leaves are small and do not grow long. About thirty to forty are enough to weigh a catty. When I was a child, I went to the seaside with adults to pick up crab leaves. At night, I ordered cotton yarn stained with kerosene or lime lamps. All the crab leaves climbed out of the nest and gathered under the light. In a short time, I could pick a few kilograms. Although the crab leaves are small but fat and full of yellow, they taste delicious and rich in nutrients after cooking. They are a delicacy with wine. Stir-fried crab leaves with green pepper is a good dish for rice. But lifting the crab lid often hurts when these little guys use their strong claws, so we usually prefer to eat it hanging. First, cook the soup, pepper, aniseed, spring onion, garlic and ginger slices, wolfberry fruit, cooking wine, rice wine, chicken essence, and a lot of salt, boil it together and let it cool. Pour the washed crab leaves in, and press them with something heavier to prevent the crabs from climbing out! Put it in the refrigerator and you can eat it the next day!