Recipe – Singapore Chilli Crab
Ingredients
| For the Chilli Paste | For the Sauce |
| 2 red chillies, coarsely chopped | 1/4 cup peanut oil |
| 2 tbsp white miso paste | 1 tbsp shrimp paste |
| 1 tbsp fresh garlic, coarsely chopped | 1 cup tomato puree |
| 1 small brown onion, roughly chopped | 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce |
| 3 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped | 1 tbsp tomato paste |
| For the Crab | 2 tbsp soy sauce |
| 2kg fresh Mud or Blue Swimmer crab | 1 tsp sesame oil |
| Cooked thin egg noodles or rice to serve | 200ml water |
| Fresh coriander sprigs to garnish | 1 egg, lightly whisked |
Directions
Step 1 – Make the chilli paste by blitzing all of the paste ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed. Set aside.
Step 2 – Clean and quarter the crabs, reserving the crab tomalley (crab “mustard”). Set aside.
Step 3 – Prepare the barbecue for direct cooking over high heat (260°C-290°C). Preheat a BBQ safe casserole dish or Dutch oven.
Step 4 – Once the casserole dish has heated, add the peanut oil and shrimp paste and fry off for 2 minutes, then add the processed chilli paste and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, sweet chilli sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, sesame oil and water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes then reduce to a simmer.
Step 5 – Add the crab claws to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, then add the reserved crab tomalley, stirring well. Add the remaining crab pieces and cook for around 7 minutes, covered with a lid or foil.
Step 6 – Remove the crab pieces from the pot and set aside, then while stirring the sauce, add the egg in a thin stream to create egg ribbons. Return the crab to the pot, stir well then serve with noodles or rice, garnished with the coriander.
