SINGAPORE CHILLI CRAB
Prep time 20 mins
Cook 15 mins
Serves 4
"Eating crab is almost an obsession for many Singaporeans and Malaysians," says food author Tony Tan. "Friends recently drove me across Singapore island in the middle of a tropical downpour to one of the colourful food centres to eat the sublime chilli crab. Over glasses of ice-cold beer, and with the cheeky persuasion from the waitstaff, we consumed six delicious crabs! The drive was definitely worth the effort, and the crab clearly lived up to its billing as one of the signature dishes of Singapore. For those of you who find eating crab fiddly, do persevere. Besides, it’s fun licking your fingers and sucking at every nook and cranny of this luxurious crustacean. Wear a bib or a tea towel so you can enjoy the experience of eating in casual mode."
1.4 kg (3 lb 2 oz) fresh live mud crabs
5 cm (2 inch) piece ginger
3 long red chillies, chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with ¼ cup (60 ml) water
Salt and white pepper, to taste
2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced and soaked in cold water, to serve
SAUCE
1 cup (250 ml) light chicken stock or water
¼ cup (60 ml) chilli sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1. If you don’t have nerves of steel, ask your fishmonger to dispatch your crabs for you. However, the easiest and most humane method is to put them to sleep in the freezer for an hour. After that, flip the crab over, exposing its belly, find the tip of the triangle of the main belly, and stab it quickly with a sharp knife. Clean the crabs and lever the shell from the bodies to expose the spongy ‘dead man’s fingers’. Discard these, then cut each body in half. Cut each half in two, keeping the legs attached. Bash the claws lightly with a cleaver or a mallet to allow the sauce to penetrate.
2. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pound the ginger and chillies with a mortar and pestle or blend them in a food processor into a coarse paste.
3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat, swirl once or twice, then add the garlic and pounded ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the crab and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes or until the shells turn slightly red. Add the sauce, stirring well to coat evenly, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 7–10 minutes until the crab is bright red and cooked through.
4. Remove the lid, stir in the beaten egg and cornflour slurry to thicken, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately topped with spring onion curls.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
NOTE Prawns, lobsters and crayfish are great substitutes for crab in this recipe. Crusty bread is excellent to mop up the sauce.
Images and text from Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan, photography by Mark Roper. Murdoch Books RRP $59.99. Published with permission.
