Chilli Crab

Really a treat for Mother's Day : Chilli Crab

Wishing all mum's around the globe a very Happy Mother's Day

Serves 2

• 2 kg crabs cleaned

• 10 shallots, diced fine

• 3 cloves garlic, diced fine

• 1 lrg knob of ginger (50g) grate

• 1 cup of water

• 1 tblsp tomato ketchup /sauce

• 2 tblsp sugar

• Spice (recipe follows)

1 egg (beaten)- optional

Spices to ground

• 5 red chillies

• 10 dried chillies (rehydrate)

• 1 tblsp shrimp paste

• 1 stalk lemongrass

• 1 knob galangal

• 4 candle nuts toasted

• roast shrimp paste in oven for 3 min to release oils, slice and add to the abovel ingredients to grind to a fine paste

Method
Clean crab well and cut into halve or you can make it into 4 also, keep the head and coral, crack the claws and legs with a pestle.

Heat oil in a wok until very hot, fry shallots, garlic, and ginger for 2 min, then add Rempah/spice and stir fry for 1 min.
Add crab and stir fry, add water, stir and cover until crab is cooked (10min) topping the water up if needed so the crab is steaming in the Chilli sauce.

Reduce the water down to original paste and add sugar, stir fry until lightly caramelized, then add the tomato ketchup. Simmer to combine the flavours.Place the crabs in a serving dish leaving the gravy in the wok. Lower the heat.Break an egg in the centre of the gravy.Slow stir and kix it into the gravy.It will thicken the gravy as well as there would be a string formation on the gravy.Pour onto the crabs and garnish with chopped coriander leaves or kafir lime leaves.Serve immediately.