Singapore Chili Crab

Name: Singapore Chili Crab
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 whole Live mud crab (2-3 lbs); 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 3 whole Garlic cloves, minced; 2 whole Red chilies, finely minced; 3 tbsp Tomato paste; 0.75 cup Water or chicken broth; 2 tbsp Ketchup; 1.5 tbsp Sugar; 1 tbsp Rice vinegar or white vinegar; 1 tbsp Fish sauce (or oyster sauce); 0.5 tsp Salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper; 1 tbsp Cornstarch; 1.5 tbsp Water (for slurry); 2 stalks Spring onions / green onions, chopped; 1 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional); 4 whole Fried mantou buns (optional)

From: Singapore

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

1 whole Live mud crab (2-3 lbs)
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
3 whole Garlic cloves, minced
2 whole Red chilies, finely minced
3 tbsp Tomato paste
0.75 cup Water or chicken broth
2 tbsp Ketchup
1.5 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 tbsp Fish sauce (or oyster sauce)
0.5 tsp Salt
0.25 tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1.5 tbsp Water (for slurry)
2 stalks Spring onions / green onions, chopped
1 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
4 whole Fried mantou buns (optional)

Instructions

PREP CRAB: Clean crab and cut into chunks. If live, place in freezer for 15 minutes to stun before cutting.
MAKE SAUCE: Heat oil in large wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and red chilies; stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes stirring.
BUILD FLAVOR: Stir in water/broth, ketchup, sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
COOK CRAB: Add crab chunks to sauce and toss to coat well. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crab pieces are cooked through and sauce reduces slightly.
THICKEN SAUCE: Mix cornstarch with 1.5 tbsp water to make slurry. Push crab pieces to side of pan and pour cornstarch slurry into sauce while stirring constantly. Cook 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats crab.
FINISH: Stir in chopped spring onions and cilantro if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.
SERVE: Transfer to serving plate. Serve hot with fried mantou buns on the side for dipping in the sweet-spicy sauce. Serve with cold beer or white wine.