Everyday recipes
Pete’s chilli mud crab
For more recipes, see this week's Woman's Day.
INGREDIENTS
4 live mud crabs
½ cup oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
4 banana chillies, chopped
1/3 cup julienned fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped coriander root
1 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
½ cup sweet chilli sauce
(I like to use Lingham’s)
1½ cups chicken stock or water
½ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
handful chopped green onion,
green part only
handful mixed mint, Vietnamese
mint and coriander leaves
30 cherry tomatoes, halved
steamed jasmine rice, to serve
METHOD
- Put the mud crabs in the freezer for about 1 hour until they are unconscious. Remove the top shell by lifting the flap
on the underside.
- Remove the gills (the spongy grey fingers) and any muck by rinsing very lightly and quickly under running water.
- Using a cleaver, cut the crabs in half lengthways, then cut into three on each side. Crack the claws with the back of a knife or cleaver so they open a bit to let the sauce in.
- Heat oil in a large wok on high and cook the garlic, chilli, ginger and coriander root until fragrant. Add crabs and toss for about 1 minute until they change colour. Add the tomato sauce, chilli sauce, stock, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, sugar and salt, stir well and bring to the boil.
- Cover and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the onions, herbs and
cherry tomatoes. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, crab crackers, crab pickers,
finger bowls and bibs.
