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Singapore, Asia

Chili crab

Singapore's signature dish: crab simmered in a sweet, spicy tomato-chili sauce, silky with ribbons of egg, with soft buns to mop up every drop.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time35 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsAvoid if you have a shellfish allergy. Cook crab until the meat is white right through, and never refreeze thawed crab.

Method

  1. Thaw the frozen crab slowly in the fridge the day before. Rinse under cold water, pat very dry with kitchen paper, and gently crack the claws with the back of a knife or a rolling pin, just enough to split the shell, so the sauce gets inside and they are easy to eat. If your buns are frozen, steam them for about 10 minutes while the crab cooks.

  2. Peel and roughly chop the shallots, garlic and ginger. Stem and chop the chilies (remove the seeds for less heat). Blend everything with the shrimp paste and 1 tbsp water to a fine paste (rempah).

    Add in this stepShallots 3Garlic cloves 5Fresh ginger 15 gFresh red chilies 3Shrimp paste (belacan) ½ tsp

  3. Heat the oil in a 28 cm wok or wide pot over medium heat and fry the paste for , stirring constantly because it can spit. It is ready when it has darkened a shade, smells sweet and toasty rather than raw, and the oil starts to seep out at the edges.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 3 tbsp

    medium heat

  4. Add the ketchup, sweet chili sauce, sugar, salt and water and bring to the boil over high heat. Add the crab and turn it to coat in the sauce. Cover, lower to medium heat and cook for , stirring once halfway. It is done when the shells are bright orange-red and the thickest meat is white and opaque all the way through.

    Add in this stepTomato ketchup 5 tbspSweet chili sauce 3 tbspSugar 2 tspSalt ½ tspWater 250 mlCleaned frozen crab (swimmer or mud crab), shell on, cut in pieces 1,000 g

    high heat→medium heat

  5. Stir the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth, pour it into the sauce and simmer over medium heat for , stirring, until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened.

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

    medium heat

  6. Turn the heat down to low heat. Beat the egg and pour it in slowly in a thin stream, leave it for 10 seconds, then fold it gently with big strokes for so it sets in soft ribbons. Stirring hard breaks it into tiny bits.

    Add in this stepEggs 1

    low heat

  7. Turn off the heat, scatter with coriander and sliced spring onions and serve on a big platter with the warm buns for dipping into the sauce.

    Add in this stepFresh coriander (cilantro) 10 gSpring onions 1Mantou (Chinese buns) 4

Cook's tip

Swimmer crab has less meat but soaks up the sauce; mud crab is meatier. If the sauce tastes too sharp add a little sugar, if too sweet a pinch of salt. Deep-fried buns are the Singapore favourite. Crab shells are sharp, so put crackers or scissors on the table.

Cooking it at camp

Blend the paste at home and pack it in a sealed tub; then one large wok on the burner is all you need. Keep thawed crab in a well-iced cooler and cook it on the first day. Warm the buns wrapped in foil at the edge of the grill.