← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg live mud crabs (2 medium), cleaned and cut into pieces, claws cracked
• 2 tbsp cornflour, for dusting
• oil, for frying
• 60 g Butter
• 8 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 6 Shallot, finely chopped
• 2 Bird's eye chilli, chopped (optional)
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves (optional)
• 2½ tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
• 1 tbsp white peppercorns, coarsely cracked
• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 80 ml Water
• 2 Spring onion, cut into short lengths

Method

1. Pat the crab pieces dry and dust them lightly with cornflour. Heat 3 cm of oil in a wok over high heat and fry the crab in batches for 3–4 min until the shells turn bright red. Drain and pour off all but a spoonful of oil.
2. Toast the cracked black and white pepper in the dry part of the wok over low heat for 1 minute until it smells smoky.
3. Add the butter, garlic, shallots, chilli and curry leaves (if using) and fry gently for 2–3 min until golden and fragrant; do not let the butter burn.
4. Stir in the oyster sauce, both soy sauces, sugar and water and bubble for 1 minute into a thick, glossy sauce.
5. Return the crab, turn the heat to high and toss for 4–5 min, covering the wok for a minute or two, until the sauce clings and the thickest claw meat is opaque and hot.
6. Toss through the spring onion and serve at once with rice or mantou buns and plenty of napkins.

Tips

• Buy crabs live from a good fishmonger and cook them the same day; chill them in the freezer for 20 minutes first to sedate them before cutting.
• Contains shellfish, dairy, soy and wheat. Big prawns in their shells work brilliantly for a cheaper version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

What To Cook Today The Meatmen Seasaltwithfood