Singapore Chili Crab

This time of year, Dungeness crab is for sale, but it's past its prime. The meat isn't as sweet as it is in December and January, so eating it plain is always a disappointment.

But my friend Emily had a terrific idea: bathe the crab in Singaporean chili sauce. A frequent traveler to Southeast Asia, she has enjoyed it many times and wanted to try the recipe with our local species.

I headed out to her beach house on a recent, glorious Sunday, accompanied by my dog, Mickey, to learn how to make it. We compiled a bunch of recipes from the Web and concocted one that sounded both do-able and delicious. It was both.

SINGAPORE CHILI CRAB

Adapted from various recipes by Emily Friedman and Mandy Erickson

Chili crab is considered to be the national dish of Singapore. It consists of crab pieces in the shell in a sweet-spicy, tomato-based sauce. There is no standard recipe; it's like beef stew or chicken noodle soup—everyone has his or her own version. I had it on a trip to Singapore in 2011, when I was trying to learn a bit about the country's health care system. My hosts took me to one of the classic chili crab restaurants, the name of which I didn't get.

For this recipe, we made some concessions to convenience. Most recipes suggest using raw (although dead) crab and letting it cook in the sauce. Mandy and I opted for cooked crab. We also chose not to make our own tomato ketchup or chili paste. Those of you who don't have access to some of the Asian ingredients can always substitute.

The amounts for many of the ingredients are somewhat approximate. —E.F.

2 cups water

10 tbsp. (about 3/4 cup) tomato ketchup

3 tsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. regular, brown, or caster sugar

1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil (we used canola)

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, minced

6-8 red Thai chiles, finely chopped (These provide the heat for the sauce, so feel free to use fewer; I wouldn't use any more.  Two long red chiles can be substituted.)

1-2 tbsp. or more grated galangal (This is an Asian rhizome that is often used in place of ginger, to which it is vaguely related; regular ginger can be used. If you do use galangal, be aware that this stuff is hard as a rock and must be peeled with a sharp, sturdy knife. It does, however, have a delightful fragrance and taste.)

1 stalk lemon grass, peeled and finely chopped (This stuff is also very hard; peel the first few layers off before chopping and only use the bulb and maybe 2 inches above it.)

3 tbsp. oyster sauce

2 eggs, beaten

4-6 spring onions (scallions), sliced thinly

3-4 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice (more if you like, which I do)

5 tbsp. fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

2-3 tbsp. kecap manis (sweet soy sauce, available in Asian groceries; if you use regular soy sauce, you may want to increase the amount of sugar)

2 large cooked Dungeness crabs, cleaned and broken into pieces

Mix the water, ketchup, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl.  Stir with a fork or a whisk until well blended and cornstarch and sugar are dissolved.

Heat the oil in a wok or large, deep skillet. Sauté the chopped garlic and shallots until light brown (this takes only a few seconds). Add the chopped chiles and sauté until you can smell the spice, which won't take long at all. Add the ketchup mixture slowly while stirring. Add the oyster sauce and mix well. Let simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. While it is simmering, add the eggs and stir well so that they don't curdle. Add the lime juice, scallions, and about half the coriander (cilantro) leaves. Stir to mix well.

 

(At this point, the sauce is extremely spicy and a bit raw-tasting. So after 15 minutes or so, turn off the heat and let the sauce sit for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to blend and soften.

Re-heat the sauce to a bare, gentle boil, stirring to keep it from burning. Add the crab pieces, making sure that they are in contact with sauce and partially covered by it. Reduce heat and warm the crab thoroughly, about 10 minutes.

You can serve the crab in a big serving bowl with the sauce poured over it; however, leaving it in the wok will keep the dish warm.

Serve several pieces of crab in individual bowls, with plenty of sauce, and sprinkle with the rest of the cilantro.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.  On the side, we had stir-fried Asian long beans that were cooked with soy sauce, garlic, and minced shallots.