Restaurant-style chili crab with fried mantou

Method

1. Rinse the thawed crab and pat it extremely dry with kitchen paper; any water left on it makes the oil spit violently. Crack the claws with the back of a knife, then dust the pieces lightly with cornstarch and shake off the excess.

   Add in this stepCleaned frozen crab (mud crab is best), shell on, cut in pieces 1,000 gCornstarch (for dusting) 4 tbsp

2. Shake the seeds out of the dried chilies and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze them dry and blend with the shallots, garlic, ginger, fresh chilies, shrimp paste and 1 tbsp water to a fine paste.

   Add in this stepDried red chilies 4Shallots 3Garlic cloves 5Fresh ginger 15 gFresh red chilies 3Shrimp paste (belacan) ¾ tsp

3. Fill a deep, heavy pot no more than one-third full with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 170 °C. Fry the buns for 1 min, until golden, and lift out. Raise the oil to 180 °C and fry the crab in 2 batch(es), 4 to 5 pieces at a time, lowering them in gently away from you, for 2 min per batch, until the shells turn red; drain (they finish cooking in the sauce). Without a thermometer, a wooden chopstick should fizz with lively small bubbles. Never leave hot oil unattended.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil for deep-frying 1½ LMantou (Chinese buns) 4

   medium-high heat

4. Heat the paste oil in a 30 cm wok and fry the paste over medium heat for 6 min, until brick red, fragrant and the oil separates.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for the paste) 3 tbsp

   medium heat

5. Add the stock, ketchup, tomato paste, sambal, sugar, vinegar and salt and simmer over medium heat for 3 min to bring the flavours together. Add the fried crab, turn to coat, cover and braise over medium-low heat for 5 min, until the thickest meat is white and opaque right through.

   Add in this stepChicken stock 250 mlTomato ketchup 4 tbspTomato paste 1½ tbspSambal oelek (chili paste) 2 tspSugar 3 tspRice vinegar 2 tspSalt ½ tsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

6. Stir the slurry cornstarch into the cold water, add it and simmer for about 1 minute until glossy. Turn the heat to low heat, pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream, leave it for 30 sec, then fold once or twice with big strokes into ribbons.

   Add in this stepCornstarch (for the slurry) 2 tspCold water (for the slurry) 2 tbspEggs 1

   low heat

7. Pile onto a large platter, scatter with coriander and serve with lime wedges and the fried buns.

   Add in this stepFresh coriander (cilantro) 10 gLimes 1