Softshell Crab with a Sweet Corn Custard, Chinese Sausage, and Garlic Chives

It’s not unusual to see crab, corn, and bacon brought together in modern American cuisine. That combination certainly helped shape this dish, but so did a Chinese preparation. I was thinking, specifically, of those crab sauces that contain sweet corn and egg. I’ve never worked in a Chinese restaurant, so I’m not entirely sure how it’s done, but my sous chef, who is from Taiwain, thinks it’s made with a can of creamed corn. I imagine you would stir your eggs into the corn so that the protein