“Singapore, in many ways, is where it all really began for me. Our family had travelled in Europe and eaten oysters and other fruits de mer in Brittany and beyond but in 1985, on a trip to Australia when I was five, my love of seafood really took off,” remembers chef Jack Stein.

“On a stopover in Singapore, we went, as usual, to a night market – and that’s where I first saw and tasted chilli crab. Maybe it was the jet lag, maybe the unbelievable humidity, but something in the experience opened my senses. I knew crabs, but not like these…

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“My father’s version of chilli crab uses brown crab, which is far fuller-flavoured than the mud crabs used in Singapore,” adds the foodie, who works with dad Rick. “My own recipe is similar to his but with a few tweaks – a classic but with just a little twist.”

Cornish chilli crab (Paul Winch-Furness/PA)
Cornish chilli crab (Paul Winch-Furness/PA)
Cornish chilli crab (Paul Winch-Furness/PA)
Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Cornish chilli crab
Amount Per Serving
Calories 272 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 1751mg76%
Potassium 496mg14%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 498IU10%
Vitamin C 60mg73%
Calcium 75mg8%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cornish chilli crab

This is one messy – but delicious – meal
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Servings: 4
Calories: 272kcal
Author: Jack Stein

Equipment

  • Chopping board
  • Teaspoon
  • Hammer or large knife
  • Wok

Ingredients

  • 2 kg boiled brown crab
  • 4 tbsp groundnut oil or sunflower oil
  • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2.5 cm fresh root ginger finely chopped
  • 3 medium-hot red Dutch chillies finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Marmite
  • 2 spring onions cut into 5cm pieces and finely shredded lengthways
  • a handful of chopped coriander

Method

  • Put the crab on its back on the chopping board, so that the claws and softer body section face upwards, then simply twist off the main claws, leaving the legs attached to the body. Now put your thumbs against the hard shell, close to the crab’s tail, and push and prise the body section out and away from the shell. The legs should still be attached to the body. Remove the small stomach sac situated just behind the crab’s mouth and pull away the feather-like gills (‘dead man’s fingers’) which are attached along the edges of the centre part; discard these.
  • Using a teaspoon, scoop out the brown meat from inside the shell; reserve.
  • Chop the body into quarters and then cut the main claws in half at the joint. Crack the shells of each piece with a hammer or the blunt edge of a large knife.
  • Heat the oil, garlic, ginger and chilli in a wok for one minute to release their aromas.
  • Next, turn up the heat and fry off the brown crab meat, then add the ketchup, soy sauce, Marmite and 150ml of water. These all add savoury and sweet notes to the finished dish. Now add the remaining crab in its shell and stir-fry the crab for two minutes. Remove from the heat and finish with spring onions and chopped coriander.
  • Serve immediately – with lots of finger bowls and napkins, as this is a messy dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1751mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg

Jack Stein’s World On A Plate by Jack Stein, photography by Paul Winch-Furness, is published by Absolute Press.

TryJack Stein’s cod with chard and charred sweetcorn

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