Singapore Chili Crab
Fresh crab in chili sauce. Messy and fun! I ate this almost everyday when I was in Singapore. Serve with fresh bread to dip
Fresh crab in chili sauce. Messy and fun! I ate this almost everyday when I was in Singapore. Serve with fresh bread to dip
- 1 egg
- salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 lg mud crab removed from shell
- 2 lg onions finely chopped
- 8 small red chiles
- 125 ml canola oil
- .05 tbsp vinegar
- 1 3/4 cup tomato puree
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp corn starch mix with 2/3 cup water
- 9 sprigs coriander leaves for garnish
- Carbohydrate 46.247661451194 g
- Cholesterol 58.2175 mg
- Fat 30.3431772624863 g
- Fiber 6.19282311701202 g
- Protein 11.7471196560998 g
- Saturated Fat 2.75255163014357 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (438g)
- Sodium 1040.74388082552 mg
- Sugar 40.054838334182 g
- Trans Fat 1.74619443352466 g
- Calories 487 calories
Step-by-step
- Blend raw onion and chilies to a puree.
- Heat oil in wok and add to puree.
- Fry until most of the liquid is evaporated.
- Add vinegar, tom paste, puree, tom sauce, soy sauce, sugar,salt and mix.
- Add crab.
- Then add the starch and water mixture followed by the egg and gently stir through.
- Garnish with Coriander.
How do you know when crustacean shell-on proteins finish cooking if a thermometer is out of the question? Visual cues replace internal probes entirely when preparing whole crab in sauce. Raw mud crab meat transitions from a translucent, gelatinous sheen to an opaque, firm white state as heat penetrates the shell. Watch the exposed surface area of the body meat and claws; complete opacity indicates the protein has denatured fully. Cooking times remain brief once the crab enters the simmering wok, typically requiring between eight and twelve minutes depending on piece size. Overcooking yields rubbery flesh, so remove the pan from direct heat the moment the meat loses its raw translucency. Blending the aromatics requires patience during the initial frying phase, because the onion and chili puree must lose its excess moisture completely before the oil separates and fries the paste. Frying continues until the raw pungent smell mellows into a deep, caramelized fragrance. Thickening the sauce relies on a cornstarch slurry added near the end of cooking, which gelatinizes between 203 degrees Fahrenheit and 212 degrees Fahrenheit when brought to a brief simmer. Whisking the egg gently into the bubbling tomato and chili base creates silky ribbons rather than solid curds, transforming the heavy glaze into a clinging emulsion. Adjusting this recipe for larger crowds requires attention to wok capacity, since overcrowding lowers the cooking temperature and causes steaming instead of frying during the initial paste reduction stage. Doubling the aromatic base necessitates using two separate pans or cooking in sequential batches to maintain proper oil-to-onion ratios. Fresh crusty bread serves as the traditional vehicle for absorbing the sweet, savory, and spicy sauce left behind on the plate.
