Main Asian

Wok-fried mud crab claws with tamarind, galangal and chilli bean paste

Name: Wok-fried mud crab claws with tamarind, galangal and chilli bean paste
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: /asian, /asian recipes
Ingredients: 2 fresh mud crabs; 2-3 blue swimmer crabs, cooked; 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 1-2 long red chillies, finely sliced; 2 spring onions, finely sliced; 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate; 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon chilli garlic sauce; 2-3cm piece galangal, peeled, grated; Handful pickled green chillies or banana peppers; Handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

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1h 30m

45m

Wok-fried mud crab claws with tamarind, galangal and chilli bean paste

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by Katie Quinn Davies

Blogger and delicious. contributor

Oct 03, 2015

This recipe for Asian-style chilli crab is a feast for the eyes and mouth alike.

2 fresh mud crabs
2-3 blue swimmer crabs, cooked
1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1-2 long red chillies, finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon chilli garlic sauce
2-3cm piece galangal, peeled, grated
Handful pickled green chillies or banana peppers
Handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Method

1.

Place the mud crab in the freezer for 30-40 minutes until asleep, then plunge quickly into a large pot of heavily salted boiling water. You may need two pots.
2.

Cook mud crabs for 20-25 minutes, then plunge them into a large bowl of iced water. Remove the claws and legs, and crack them gently. Set aside. Remove shell from the body of the crab, then extract the crab meat, placing it in a bowl. Extract the crab meat from the cooked blue swimmer crabs in the same way.
3.

Heat the olive oil in a wok over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes before adding half the sliced chillies and half the sliced spring onions. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.

Add the red wine vinegar, tamarind concentrate, Thai fish sauce, soy sauce, chilli garlic sauce, 1 cup (250ml) water and grated galangal. Simmer along with the garlic and spring onion for a further 2 minutes to infuse flavours before adding the loose crab meat and the crab claws/legs. Cook for a further 6-8 minutes, tossing often.
5.

Transfer to a large serving dish and scatter with remaining thinly sliced red chilli and spring onion, and the pickled green chillies or banana chilli, and chopped coriander.