Singapore-Style Chilli Crab in Tomato and Egg Sauce
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Crab pieces cooked in a glossy sweet-and-sour chilli and tomato sauce, thickened with soft ribbons of egg and served with warm buns for dipping. Messy, generous and made for sharing.
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Method
- 1
Prepare the sauce mix. Keep the crab chilled until you are ready to cook. In a jug, stir together the tomato purée, ketchup, chilli sauce, sugar and lime juice. Having this ready means the sauce goes in the moment the crab is done, so nothing overcooks while you measure.
- 2
Fry the aromatics. Heat the oil in the wok over medium heat and stir-fry the shallots, garlic, ginger and chillies for 1-2 minutes. They should smell fragrant and turn soft without browning. Gentle heat releases their flavour into the oil, which then carries it through the whole sauce.
- 3
Cook the crab. Add the crab pieces and the 400ml water, turn the heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning the pieces twice, until every shell is bright orange-red. Check the thickest claw: the meat should be opaque white right through and reach at least 63°C.
- 4
Thicken the sauce. Stir in the tomato mixture and simmer for 1 minute, tossing the crab to coat. Give the cornflour mixture a stir, pour it in and let it bubble for 1 minute, until glossy and thickened. Cornflour needs to reach a boil to swell and thicken properly.
- 5
Stir in egg ribbons. With the heat turned to low, pour in the beaten eggs in a thin stream while stirring slowly. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes until no runny egg remains and the sauce is steaming and just bubbling again, at least 71°C. Low heat lets the egg set in soft, silky strands that enrich the sauce rather than scrambling into lumps.
- 6
Serve at the table. Pile the crab and sauce onto a deep platter and scatter with spring onions and coriander. Serve immediately with the warm buns, crab crackers, picks and finger bowls.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan, stirring, until piping hot (74°C).
Equipment
- large wok (36 cm) with lid, or a large casserole (6 litres)
- small bowl
- long tongs or a wok spatula
- crab crackers and picks
- finger bowls and napkins
- instant-read probe thermometer
- jug
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 439 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.1 g |
| of which sugars | 13.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 8.8 g |
| Fat | 15.6 g |
| of which saturates | 2.2 g |
| Fibre | 3.5 g |
| Salt | 2.44 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
