Malaysian/Singaporean · dinner
Black Pepper Crab Crab pieces are dusted in cornflour, fried until crisp at the edges, then tossed in a glossy black pepper, garlic and curry leaf sauce. Eat it with your hands, with plenty of napkins.
total 50 min
prep 30 min
cook 20 min
servings 4 Keep this recipe Add a copy of Black Pepper Crab to your Saucepan library.
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Back to 4 servings 2 lb live mud crabs or blue swimmer crabs, about 2 to 3 lb total; or 4 blue swimmer crabs; cleaned vegetable oil, for deep-frying, about 1 quart 0.5 cup cornflour (cornstarch), for dusting 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, for stir-frying 3 Tbsp shallots, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated 0.5 cup fresh curry leaves, picked 4 long red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced; or small red chilies to taste 2 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper, use 1.5 to 2.5 Tbsp to taste 1 Tbsp superfine sugar 2 Tbsp oyster sauce 1 Tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp dark soy sauce 1 cup chicken stock fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to serve steamed mantou buns or rice, to serve
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1 Step 1: Clean the crabs: remove the apron, top shell and feathery gills, rinse quickly and pat dry. Cut each body in half with the legs attached, cut the sections into 2 or 3 pieces, and crack the claws with the back of a cleaver.2 Step 2: Heat about 1 quart of oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F (180°C). Dust the crab pieces in cornflour, shaking off the excess.3 Step 3: Fry the crab in two batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until the coating just starts to brown and the shells turn red. Drain on paper towels.4 Step 4: Pour off all but about 1 Tbsp of the oil, then return the wok to medium-high heat. Add the butter and 2 Tbsp oil, then stir-fry the shallots, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and chilies for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.5 Step 5: Add the black pepper, sugar, oyster sauce and both soy sauces, and stir until bubbling. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.6 Step 6: Add the fried crab back to the wok and turn it over in the sauce until every piece is coated. Put the lid on and let it bubble gently for 5 minutes, lifting the lid to toss the crab once or twice. It's finished when the sauce has reduced to a sticky glaze and the meat is opaque all the way through, with no translucent patches left near the joints.7 Step 7: Transfer to a large platter, scatter with coriander and extra sliced chili, and serve hot with mantou buns or rice to soak up the sauce.getsaucepan.com/r/c152f428-05ef-5b07-a4a9-0fca3da2ab8e
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