Light Bites Recipes - Singapore Chili Crab Recipe

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, for deep-frying

• 4 fresh crabs, about 250g/9oz each, cleaned

• 30ml/2 tbsp sesame oil

• 30-45ml/2-3 tbsp chili sauce

• 45ml/3 tbsp tomato ketchup

• 15ml/1 tbsp soy sauce

• 15ml/1 tbsp sugar

• 250ml/1 cup chicken stock

• 2 eggs, beaten

• salt and ground black pepper

• finely sliced spring onions (scallions), and chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

For the spice paste:

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 25g/1 oz fresh root ginger, chopped

• 4 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind the ingredients for the spice paste and set aside.

2. Deep-fry the crabs in hot oil until the shells turn bright red. Remove from the oil and drain.

3. Heat the sesame oil in a wok and stir in the spice paste. Fry until fragrant and stir in the chili sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and sugar. Toss in the fried crab and coat well.

4. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Season. Pour in the eggs, stirring gently, to let them set in the sauce.

5. Serve immediately, garnished with spring onions and coriander.

Note: Perhaps Singapore's signature dish could be chili crab. An all-time favorite at hawker stalls and coffee shops, steaming woks of crab deep-frying are a common sight. The crabs are placed in the middle of the table with a bowl for the discarded pieces of shell, and small bowls of water for cleaning your fingers. Crack the shells, then dip the meat into the cooking sauce. Mop up the spicy sauce with lots of crusty bread.