Singaporean Chilli Crab Recipe (with Lemongrass and Ginger Book Review)

Adapted from Lemongrass and Ginger, p.109
by Christine's Recipes
Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Yield: 4 serves

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg / 3lb 5oz uncooked brown or blue swimmer crabs, or crab claws, scrubbed (I used mud crab.)
• 3 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 recipe quantity chilli crab spice paste (see below)
• 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 Tbsp chilli sauce
• 2 Tbsp clear honey
• 3 Tbsp light soy sauce
• boiled long-grain rice, to serve

Method:

1. To prepare each crab, pull off the triangular bony tail flap and discard. Press your thumb under the rear end of the crab and lift the body away from the back shell. Discard the shell and remove and discard the stomach bag and the gills at the sides of the body. Rinse the crab flesh and claws under running cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Pull the 2 front claws from the bodies and then, using the back of a knife or a mallet, slightly crack the shell of each claw. Cut the crabs into quarters with a large-bladed knife. If using crab claws only, rinse under running cold water and crack the claws slightly using a large-bladed knife.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the spice paste and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until fragrant and the oil starts to rise to the surface.
3. Meanwhile, combine the tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, honey and soy sauce in a small bowl. Add the sauce mixture to the wok or pan, then pour in 9-ml/3fl oz/generous 1/3 cup water and bring to the boil.
4. Tip in the crab pieces and push around the wok or pan until well coated with the sauce. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the crab pieces turn bright orange and are cooked through. Serve immediately with boiled rice.

Chilli Crab spice paste
Ingredients:

• 2 dried chillies
• 5 red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 6 shallots, roughly chopped
• 5cm/2in piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp roasted shrimp paste (I used bottled smooth shrimp paste)

Method:

1. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain, deseed and roughly chop.
2. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend a smooth paste. (I used a pestle and mortar to ground all ingredients into paste.)

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