Singapore Chilli Crab

Method

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1. Clean the crabs: lift off the top shell, remove the gills and stomach sac, and cut each body into quarters. Crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife so the sauce can get in.

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2. Blitz all the rempah ingredients to a coarse paste with a splash of water.

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3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the rempah for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil separates and pools at the edges. That separation is the signal.

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4. Add the ketchup, chilli sauce, soybean paste and sugar and fry 2 minutes more.

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5. Pour in the vinegar and the stock and bring to a boil.

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6. Add the crab pieces, turn to coat, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the shells are bright orange and the meat is opaque.

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7. Lift the crab onto a warm platter. Stir the slaked cornflour into the sauce and simmer 1 minute until glossy.

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8. Take the wok off the heat and wait 15 seconds so the sauce stops boiling. Pour the beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring slowly in one direction — it will set into soft ribbons.

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9. Pour the sauce over the crab, scatter with spring onions and coriander, and serve with the buns and a great many napkins.

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Chef’s Tips

• Fry the rempah until the oil splits out. Under-fried paste tastes raw and no amount of simmering fixes it.
• Egg off the heat, stirred slowly. Fast stirring in a boiling sauce gives you scrambled egg soup.
• Ask the fishmonger to clean and quarter the crabs if you would rather not.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Fried mantou buns
• Cold Tiger beer
• Steamed rice

Storage & Reheating

Best immediately. Refrigerated for 1 day; reheat gently, though the crab toughens.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.