Easy Asian

Jamie Oliver's Singapore chilli crab

Name: Singapore chilli crab recipe by Jamie Oliver
Cuisine: /asian
Ingredients: 1 large cooked mud crab (about 1.2kg); 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks reserved; 4 long green shallots, white parts finely chopped, green parts sliced into thin matchsticks; 40.00 ml peanut oil; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 3cm piece ginger, finely grated; 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped, plus extra sliced to serve; 1/2 tsp cornflour, combined with 100ml warm water; Roti canai (optional – recipe also online), to serve; 1 white onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 3 small red chillies, chopped; 2 lemongrass stalks (inner core only), bruised, chopped; 20.00 ml white wine vinegar; 1 tsp brown sugar; 30.00 ml tomato paste; 20.00 ml sweet chilli sauce; 1 tsp shrimp paste

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by Jamie Oliver

Food legend, influencer, activist, Naked Chef, delicious. contributor

Sep 09, 2019

This Singapore chilli crab recipe is a real treat and best eaten with your hands – don’t forget the finger bowls!

What you need to know before you start

This recipe requires handling of a whole, cooked crab. It should be pre-cooked before you begin, or you’ll have to complete this step at home. You’ll also need some additional equipment, including crab crackers or a large, sharp knife to remove the crab flesh, a food processor to make the chilli sauce and a large wok to bring everything together.

Why is this the best chilli crab recipe?

Loaded with plenty of aromatics and chillies, Jamie Oliver’s Singapore chilli crab heroes the fragrant flavours of this traditional hawker-style recipe right from the comfort of your kitchen. The sweet and spicy homemade chilli sauce paired with the succulent flesh of a mud crab is a finger-licking pairing, perfect for weekend feasting.

What is the best crab to use for chilli crab?

We recommend using mud crab for this Singapore chilli crab recipe. This popular variety has a subtle sweet, briny and umami flavour with a delicate texture that makes it an ideal pairing for a flavour-packed chilli sauce.

What ingredients you’ll need

Mud crab: Crab is the key ingredient in this recipe. The natural sweetness balances the rich, spicy and tangy flavours of the chilli sauce with a deep umami flavour.

Coriander: This bright, citrusy and peppery herb is used in the chilli sauce as well as a garnish for visual interest.

Long green shallots: These are used in two different components – the whites are fried with the chilli sauce for a mild onion aroma and the greens are sliced as a garnish.

Peanut oil: Peanut oil imparts a subtle nutty flavour that enhances the complexity of the chilli crab sauce.

Garlic: Garlic adds a robust and aromatic base to the dish.

Ginger: Ginger adds a distinct, aromatic quality with its warm, slightly peppery and sweet-spicy flavour to add depth and complexity.

Chillies: You’ll need two types of chillies in this recipe. The long red chillies are fried in the wok alongside garlic and ginger for subtle warmth while small red chillies form the base of the chilli crab sauce.

Cornflour: When combined with water, a slurry is formed to help thicken the chilli sauce.

White onion: White onions have a mild sweetness that helps to balance the spiciness and acidity of the chilli sauce.

Lemongrass: Lemongrass imparts a bright, zesty and slightly lemony aroma to contrast the richness of the crab and the spiciness of the sauce. Only the white part of the lemongrass is used in this recipe.

White wine vinegar: This crucial ingredient to the chilli sauce adds a tangy acidity that helps balance the rich, sweet and spicy flavours.

Brown sugar: Brown sugar provides a rich, caramel-like sweetness that balances the heat from the red chillies.

Tomato paste: Tomato paste provides a concentrated, rich tomato flavour that forms a fundamental base for the chilli sauce while imparting a distinct red hue.

Sweet chilli sauce: Sweet chilli sauce adds layers of complexity thanks to its sweet and spicy flavour profile.

Shrimp paste: This potent flavour-bomb adds richness and umami qualities to enhance the overall dish.

Roti canai (optional): This golden flaky flatbread is the perfect accompaniment to soak up all that delicious chilli sauce. You can now find roti in the chilled section at supermarkets. You can also substitute paratha flatbreads, which are also available at supermarkets.

How do you prepare a crab for chilli crab?

Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never prepared a whole crab before. Purchase a pre-cooked mud crab for ease before twisting off the legs and claws. Use a claw cracker or a large knife to crack the larger claws and pick out the meat, leaving the other pieces whole. Finally, break apart the body to discard the gills and pick out any remaining flesh.

How to store leftover chilli crab

Allow any leftover chilli crab to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container and keeping in the fridge for three or four days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat.

What to serve with Jamie Oliver’s Singapore chilli crab

Serve Singapore chilli crab with plenty of Chinese fluffy buns known as mantou, roti canai and steamed white rice to soak up all that chilli goodness. If you’re plating this up as part of a feast, pair this with other iconic Singaporean hawker stall classics like char kway teow, roti prata and hokkien mee.

Drink pairings with Jamie Oliver’s chilli crab

An ice cold beer like a Tiger or a Heineken is the perfect accompaniment to mellow the heat from the chilli crab.

If you love Jamie Oliver’s Singapore chilli crab recipe, try this

Want to experiment with more crab recipes? From fresh pasta recipes to fried rices, give our curated selection of crab recipes a go:

1 large cooked mud crab (about 1.2kg)
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks reserved
4 long green shallots, white parts finely chopped, green parts sliced into thin matchsticks
2 tbs peanut oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3cm piece ginger, finely grated
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped, plus extra sliced to serve
1/2 tsp cornflour, combined with 100ml warm water
Roti canai (optional – recipe also online), to serve

Chilli sauce

1 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 small red chillies, chopped
2 lemongrass stalks (inner core only), bruised, chopped
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp shrimp paste

Method

1.

To prepare the crab, twist off the legs and claws. Turn the crab upside-down, hold both sides and use your thumbs to push under the central body until it breaks away. Remove and discard the spongy gills and pick out any white meat. Scoop out the brown meat from the main shell and place in a bowl. Crack the large claws in half and pick out the meat. Reserve the legs, claws and meat and discard the other parts of the crab.
2.

Fill a bowl with iced water and add the coriander leaves, as well as the sliced green shallot – this will make the shallot curl up.
3.

For the chilli sauce, whiz all ingredients in a food processor, along with reserved coriander stalks, until a rough paste.
4.

Heat 1 tbs oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook the chilli sauce for 8-10 minutes until softened and coloured.
5.

Heat remaining 1 tbs oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the chopped white shallot, garlic, ginger and chilli, and fry for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
6.

Add the crab legs and claws. Stir in the chilli sauce and cornflour mixture, season and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the crabmeat.
7.

Serve with a good sprinkling of the drained coriander leaves, green shallot and extra chilli, with roti canai for dipping into the sauce, if using.