Recipe: Singapore Chilli Crab

I have a confession to make.

Before arriving in Sydney 10 years ago, I had never eaten, let alone set eyes on a pad thai, a bibimbab, a banh mi, kway teo or a "real" chinese bbq pork bun. Hainan chicken? What's that - it looks kinda raw..

I came from a place far far away. Where yum cha meant hearing the beep beep of the microwave in a restaurant's kitchen. Where asian food equalled honey chicken, mongolian lamb, sweet and sour pork or beef in blackbean sauce. A place where meat pies, cream buns, vanilla slices and chips with vinegar (or gravy) were the local delicacy. Now don't get me wrong. I still love all of these. Just now, I love the dishes in the first paragraph too. 

Anyways, enough of my rambling. let's cook!

Ingredients: 

• 2 mud crabs 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• A small piece of finely chopped ginger
• 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
• ½ cup chilli sauce  (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• ½ to 1 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• spring onions, finely chopped
  

Instructions:

1. Wash the crabs, stick a knife where you would think the butt is and twist slightly to separate the top shell from the rest. Put the top shell aside for decoration. Remove the  gills and chop the the crab into quarters. Pull the claws off and set aside for decoration as well.

2. Heat the oil in a wok until very hot and fry the crab pieces including the shell and the claw, a few at a time, until they change colour, turning them in the oil. Remove each lot as they turn red. Set aside.

3. Heat some more oil and gently fry the ginger, garlic and chillies, stirring, until soft and golden. Add the sauces, water, sugar and salt. Return the crab pieces to the wok and let them simmer in the sauce for a few minutes, with the lid on so that the sauce infuses with the crab. 

4. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and dribble in the beaten egg, and gently push the egg around (do not stir like crazy!).  

Plate up the finished goods, garnish and serve with a small bowl of steamed jasmine rice. Bon appetit!

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