singapore chilli crab - from David Parry

This recipe is based on a food trip I took to Pongol point in Singapore, it can be used with any crab even soft shell crabs….

Serves 2

• 2 1kg crabs cleaned
• 3 tblsp veg oil
• 10 Thai style shallots, diced fine
• 3 cloves garlic, diced fine
• 1 lrg knob of ginger (50g) grate on micro plan
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tblsp tomato ketchup (recipe follows)
• 2 tblsp caster sugar
• 60g ground roasted peanuts
• Rempah (recipe follows)
• Crusty bread to serve and mop up the juices

Tomato ketchup

• 15 ripe tomatoes, cored
• 500ml peanut oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, fine diced
• 2 knobs ginger, fine diced
• roast tomatoes in oven until soft (180 for 10 min) and force through a food mill. Heat oil in Pan and fry paste until fragrant
• Add tomato puree and simmer for 40min, until it is reduced so far that it is frying in the oil.
• Store in sterilized Jars until needed.

Rempah

• 5 red chillies
• 10 dried chillies (rehydrate)
• 1 tblsp shrimp paste
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 knob galangal
• 4 candle nuts toasted
• roast shrimp paste in oven for 3 min to release oils, slice and pound all ingredients to a fine paste in mortar and pestle - just add hardest to softest ingredients.

Method
Clean crab well and cut into 6, also keeping the head and coral, crack the claws and legs with a pestle.
Heat oil in a wok until very hot, fry shallots, garlic, and ginger for 2 min, then add Rempah and stir fry for 1 min.
Add crab and stir fry, add water, stir and cover until crab is cooked (10min) topping the water up if needed so the crab is steaming in the Chilli sauce.
Reduce the water down to original paste and add sugar, stir fry until lightly caramelized, then add the tom ketchup. Simmer to combine the flavors, then add
the crushed peanuts.
To serve
Place in a large bowl, top with Chiffonade of kaffir lime leave, coriander and basil, and of cause the crusty bread to mop up.
Enjoy…David Parry