Chilli Crabs for dinner

For our special guests Sue and Steve, we bought 2 kg of live crabs and proceeded to slaughter them for dinner!!

Inside the pail....

all tied up because you cannot underestimate the power of them pincers

once they get you in their vice grip, they can make a grown man cry

huge right?

mel is holding one up

to show you how huge it is

meaty mud crabs

here comes the cruel part: de-legging them 

(got de-bone, so got de-leg, right? please don't mind my Manglish)

the cruellest part though is not on camera, the part that got the stake through their vital core

 she will now remove the carapace

then proceed to disembowel them

(also not caught on camera, I got sqeamish and queasy)

 life and limb lost,

claws are hammered and rinsed

 scrubbed off their vitality and destined for the pot next (or kwali because I like to use the wok), I did the frying, and I made sure there was enough "wok-hei".

we all tucked into chilli crabs ala Singapore!!!!

Ingredients for Singapore Chilli Crab:

• 1 lb (450g) mud crabs or soft shelled crabs
• 
  
• 4 tbsp plain flour if using soft shelled crabs
• 
  
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil*
• 
  
• 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 
  
• 8 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
• 
  
• 1 egg
• 
  
• 2 spring onions (scallions), cut into finger length
• 
  
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 
  
• 1 small bunch coriander plant (cilantro)

*For soft-shelled crabs, oil for deep frying 

Mix together for Sauce

• 1 cup of water, 5 tbsp tomato catsup, 1 1/2 to 3 tbsp 
• 
  
• sugar, or according to taste, 1 1/2 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp 
• 
  
• pounded brown preserved soya beans or dark miso 
• 
  
• (optional), 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok or shallow saucepan over high
2. 
   
3. heat. 
4. 
   
5. Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. 
6. 
   
7. Add the chilli, stir-fry till fragrant. For mud crabs, add 
8. 
   
9. at this stage. Fry well till shells start turning red, add 
10. 
    
11. sauce ingredients stir well, cover with lid and simmer 
12. 
    
13. till shells are red. 
14. 
    
15. Break eggs into the wok and streak with a fork, simmer 
16. 
    
17. till cooked. Squeeze lime juice over and stir in 
18. 
    
19. scallions. 
20. For soft-shelled crabs, cut each crab into four, dry well,
21. 
    

1. dredge in flour and deep fry till golden brown and 
2. 
   
3. crispy. Make the sauce as above, but omit the mud 
4. 
   
5. crabs. 
6. Toss soft shelled crabs in sauce just before serving.

Recipe by VIOLET OON  MK LOO

This unofficial ‘national dish’ is usually prepared with fresh

 succulent crabs in a hearty, sweet and spicy gravy and is 

best eaten with your fingers! Mop up the mouth-watering 

gravy with white bread or Chinese mantou (buns).