Heres arguably the most famous crab recipe in the world: Singapore Chilli Crab!
For the ultimate experience, uselive mud crab that you clean and cut yourself.
Be prepared to get messy eating it (half the fun!)
Mud crab sold at the Sydney Fish markets
and to be surprised at how quick it is to make!
The best part of this dish?The sauce.This stuff is the Mother Of All Flavour Bombs!
Any Singaporean will tell you the sauce is the beating heart of Singapore Chilli Crab.
Its an explosion of seafood flavour, less spicy than the name suggests, subtly sweet, deeply savoury.
Sauce excellence at its finest!
It is probablythemost iconic crab dish in the world.
Its grand, its bold, its fun, and its an occasion.
And of course, utterly delicious!
Its a fact that crab, especially live, is expensive.
I know that is a pretty bold statement, nor am I one to blow my own trumpet.
And yet, every single one has somehow fallen short of our expectations.
Not the crab mind you live crab cooked fresh is hard to get wrong, after all.
No, its the sauce.
Any Singaporean will tell you the sauce is the beating heart of Singapore Chilli Crab.
The Singapore Chilli Crab sauce is so good in fact, that words fail me.
And thats saying something!!
Read on for why!
Dispatching the crab is not a stress either.
Mud crab sold at the Sydney Fish markets
But I assure you its as simple as popping the bound critter into the freezer to until it sleeps.
Its actually the liver and pancreas of the crab, and this stuff is crab gold!
See above for more information about tomalley.
One of my favourite fish mongers at the Sydney Fish Markets
Generally, bigger is better.
Larger crabs are prized for their grandeur as well as ease of eating!
Because they are smaller, I used 2 large crabs which totalled around 1.5kg/3lb.
(Australia: These are crabs that are killed soon after catching to preserve flavour.
Uncooked mud crabs can be found but blue swimmer crabs are more common.)
King crab This is a premium crab with sweet, incredibly meaty leg meat.
Crab pieces
Feel free to try!
If crab isnt within your reach, make this recipe with prawns/shrimp instead.
These are cayenne peppers.
Reserved crab tomalley “crab mustard” for the sauce
Singapore Chilli Crab is not meant to be insanely spicy!
Feel free to reduce according to your taste.
They look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter.
Blue swimmer crabs – alternative crab option
Its stinky out of the packet, and phenomenally stinky when you start cooking it.
You may want to warn your neighbours.
Singapore is a melting pot of East meets West, and these influences are frequently embraced in the food.
Singapore Chilli Crab made with Blue Swimmer Crabs
Its another secret ingredient, used to add sweetness as well as rich tomato and spice notes.
Sweet chilli sauce Just your stock-standard Asian (eg.
Thai) sweet chilli sauce from any grocery store.
Sometimes labelled Tomato Puree in the US (heres a photoof Mutti Tomato Passata sold at Walmart).
Its essential for balance in Singapore Chill Crab sauce;
Green onion and coriander / cilantro For garnish.
How to make Singapore Chilli Crab
The actual cooking part is phenomenally straightforward.
You think its stinky now, wait until you start cooking it!
Saute belachan:Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add belachan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
The smell will make your hair stand on end, but have faith!
It will transform into something beautiful.
Add tomato passata:Add tomato passata and cook, stirring regularly, for 4 minutes.
Add remaining sauce ingredients:Add sweet chilli sauce, ketchup, water and stir to combine.
Now were ready to cook the crab!
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Now we just need to finish the sauce!
Part 3: Finishing the sauce
Remove crab:Use tongs to remove all the crab pieces.
Now its just time to plate up!
Garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro and green onion;
Dive in and devour while its hot and fresh!
How to serve Singapore Chilli Crab
Singapore Chilli Crab is a dish made for sharing.
Gather your nearest and dearest (nobody else is deserving!
), roll up your sleeves and get stuck in with your hands.
Theres no two ways about it, youre going to get messy verymessy!
(Wait until you see the eat scene at the end of the recipe video!! )
Traditionally in Singapore, Chilli Crab is served with a stack of golden mantou buns.
These steamed and fried, fluffy Chinese buns make the perfect vessel for mopping up all that lip-smacking sauce.
Though if you want the best, makehomemade brioche.
*
Rice naturally also pairs perfectly well, but youll find your chopsticks get slippery pretty quickly!
This recipe is a big deal!
Bold flavours, messy food you eat with your hands.
Prevent screen from sleeping
When I set out to do this, I had never handled a whole crab before.
And certainly never tackled a live mud crab before.
Videos, photos, writing.
I truly hope you give this dish a go one day.
Dozer, Im never going to let you go.
