Chilli Crabs
Eat these crabs Singaporean style, with the fingers. Give guests crab crackers for the claws and have some finger bowls or hot towels to hand as it will be messy!
Ingredients
- 2 cooked crabs, each about 675g / 1½lb
- 90ml / 6 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2.5cm / 1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-2 red chillies, seeded and pounded to a paste
- 175ml / 6fl oz / ¾ cup tomato ketchup 30m1/2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 15ml / 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- salt
- 120ml / 4fl oz / ½ cup boiling water
- hot toast and cucumber chunks, to serve
Preparation
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- To prepare the crabs twist off the large claws, then turn the crab on its back with its mouth and eyes facing away from you. Using both of your thumbs, push the body, with the small legs attached, upwards from beneath the flap, separating the body from the main shell in the process. Discard the stomach sac and grey spongy lungs known as "dead men's fingers".
- Using a teaspoon scrape the brown creamy meat from the large shell into a small bowl. Twist the legs from the body. Cut the body section in half. Pick out the white meat. If liked, pick out the meat from the legs, or leave for guests to remove at the table.
- Heat the oil in a wok and gently fry the ginger, garlic and fresh chilli paste for 1-2 minutes without browning. Stir in the ketchup, sugar and soy sauce, with salt to taste and heat gently.
- Stir in the crab meat together with the claws and crab legs, if these were reserved. Pour in the boiling water, stir well and cook over a high heat until heated through. Pile with the crab and crab claws mixture on serving plates with the chunks of cucumber and serve with pieces of toast.
COOK'S TIP
Ready-cooked whole crabs are available from supermarkets and fish shops.
Serves 4.