Singaporean Chilli Mud Crab

Prep Time 15 minutes + 1 hour chilling

Cook Time 15 time

Servings 2-3

Ingredients

80ml vegetable oil

1 (about 1kg) mud crab, cleaned

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 x 3cm piece of ginger

1 tbsp chilli jam

½ x (400g) can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato sauce

100ml chicken stock or water

1 ½ tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp black vinegar

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 spring onion, julienned and curled in iced water for garnish

4 soft brioche buns

Freshly cracked pepper

Method

Place the crab into the freezer for 1 hour to put to sleep humanely. Remove the top shell (carapace) from the crab and reserve. Clean inside and discard gills, but reserve any tomalley. Cut in half lengthways and then cut in half again to have 4 pieces. Twist off the claws and crack the claw shell with mallet shellfish crackers.

Heat the oil in a large wok and add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant then add the chilli jam. Bring to the boil then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Once the sauce comes back to a boil, return the crab pieces and place the lid on wok. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the crab goes vibrant orange. Add in the soy, reserved tomalley (if using) and vinegar and combine.

Stir in the egg mixture until it forms floss-like strands.

Spoon crab and sauce onto a platter. Top with spring onions and serve with brioche breach to mop up all the sauce.