Singapore Chilli Crab

Name: Singapore Chilli Crab
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 2 green blue swimmer crabs; ⅓ cup hot sweet chilli sauce; ¼ cup tomato ketchup; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine; ½ cup water; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 cloves garlic, very finely sliced; 1 teaspoon grated ginger; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 green onion, finely sliced on the diagonal; 1 small red chilli, seeded and very finely sliced; Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Chilli crab is perhaps the dish most synonymous with Singapore. It’s found all over the island, from hawker stalls to fine diners, as well as being the most popular Singaporean dish abroad. I’ve played around with recipes for Singaporean chilli crab since I had my first plate of it in Ponggol many years ago, and I’ve finally distilled it down to this version which is super simple with all the flavour I remember from the old Ponggol days. The secret is to use a good hot sweet chilli sauce with a bit of a punch, I often use Lingham’s but there are several available. I love a full-bodied rosé with spicy dishes; and Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosato from Firriato works a treat with this chilli crab. Crabs are one of the easiest seafoods to clean, see the video below for a step-by-step guide.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 green blue swimmer crabs
⅓ cup hot sweet chilli sauce
¼ cup tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
½ cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, very finely sliced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 green onion, finely sliced on the diagonal
1 small red chilli, seeded and very finely sliced
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Method

Clean and quarter crabs and crack the large nippers, reserving one top shell (details here).
Combine chilli sauce, ketchup, Shaoxing and water. Set aside.
Heat a wok over medium heat.
Add oil, then garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
Increase heat to medium-high, add crab (including top shell) and cook for about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until orange all over.
Remove top shell and set aside.
Add chilli sauce mixture, increase heat and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until just cooked through.
Move crab to one side of the wok, slowly drizzle egg into the sauce while stirring gently.
Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with green onion and chilli. Garnish with top shell and serve with rice.