Singapore chilli crab

This Singaporean classic wins hearts with its sweet and savoury, semi-thick sauce that is richened with miso paste, shrimp paste and tomatoes. Craig serves it with crusty bread over the traditional mantou.

Singapore chilli crab Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  2

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 1 small live mud crab, about 1–1 ½ kg
• 60 ml (¼ cup) canola oil
• 250 ml (1 cup) tomato passata
• 125 ml (½ cup) sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 - 3 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar, to taste

Paste

• 5 long red chillies, chopped
• 2 tbsp miso paste
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 red Asian shallots (or ½ red onion), chopped
• 5 cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp roasted dried shrimp paste, chopped

To serve

• coriander sprigs
• sliced spring onions
• steamed Jasmine rice
• crunchy baguette

Chilling time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. To dispatch the crab humanely, place it in the freezer for 1 hour or until it falls asleep. Flip the top shell off the crab to expose its insides. Reserve the tomalley (crab mustard) in a separate bowl. Discard the gills, then use a cleaver to cut the crab into 6 pieces. Crack the large claws with the back of the cleaver or meat tenderiser.
2. For the paste, place all the ingredients in a small food processor and blitz until smooth.
3. Heat oil in a large wok or large deep frying pan over high heat. Add the paste and stir for a few minutes or until fragrant. Add the passata, bring to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the sweet chilli sauce, ketchup and 500 ml (2 cups) water, stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
4. Add the crab claws and stir to coat in the sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Add the reserved crab tomalley and remaining pieces of crab, cover and cook for 7 minutes or until the crab is just cooked through. Transfer the crab pieces to a bowl.
5. Place the remaining sauce in the wok over medium heat. Stirring in a circular motion, slowly pour the egg in a thin stream into the middle of the wok to create egg ribbons. Stir in the lemon juice or vinegar to taste. Return the crab to the wok and stir to coat in the sauce.
6. Transfer the chilli crab to a serving bowl, scatter with coriander and green onion and serve with steamed rice and crunchy baguette on the side.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Hot and Spicy

Watch The Full Episode Here

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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