About Mike
Mike is an "ang moh" (local term for Caucasian) friend from Singapore. I met him in 1998 and we got closer when I started to help him for design work and his web site. We share several things in common: love of food (of course I'm not as mad as him on cooking and eatery) and being foreign talents (that's the lovely term for us expatriates in Singapore). Mike and Karen, his wife, has a successful counselling agency in Singapore.
He usually took me out for nice food many times. One of his most favourites is unhealthy rich curry ladened with substanstial amount of coconut milk and myriads of spices. He's a good cook, too.
Check more about Mike's recipe.
Singapore's Chilli Crab
Ingredients
- 2-3 crabs (large mud crabs if you can get them)
- 2-3 red chillies
- 2 cm fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3-4 coriander roots
- 1 egg, whipped
- 2 tablespoons oil
- oil for deep frying
Gravy (Mix well)
- 1 rice bowl chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon chilli sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Chop the live crabs (see Mike's Tip), clean and chop into pieces. Discard shells and legs (unless you want to add everything - not for me!).
- Drain and dry the crab pieces. This is to reduce "spitting" when you drop the crab pieces into hot oil for deep frying.
- Chop the ginger, garlic, coriander roots, and red chillies.
- Deep fry the crab pieces for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. As with all seafood, it's important not to overcook the crab.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok. Stir-fry ginger, garlic, coriander roots , and chilli mixture. Return the fried crab to the wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the gravy mixture. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Thicken with cornflour paste.
- Add whipped egg. Stir.
- Serve with fresh coriander leaves.
Mike's Tip
To kill the tied crab, lie it on its back. Pull back the flap and hold the crab firm with the tip of a chopstick. Place a large metal cleaver across the middle of the crab and chop through. This method is better than placing the crab in boiling water to kill it as the meat remains uncooked until you are ready to fry it.
last modified on Wed 20 Jul 2005