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This is a popular dish amongst Singaporeans. It is also a common feature in the menus of famous seafood restaurants (along East Coast and Punggol).
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The abundance of fresh chillies and garlic makes this a very spicy and full-bodied dish. Chilli crabs/lobster bears testimony to the great love Chinese have for spicy Malay food.
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The real way to eat this dish is with a serving of large square chuncks of bread to dip into the delicious sauce
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Wash uncooked shellfish well, break off the claws and crack the shell by gently hitting it with a pestle. When preparing crabs, chop the bodies in half and then each half into 3 pieces. Wash and retain the shells. When using lobsters, chop off the tail and head, and chop the body, with shell still on, into thumb length pieces.
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Plunge head and tail of lobster into boiling water and cook till the shell turns red. Remove from water and set aside for decoration.
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Peel garlic and pound coarsely. Pound chillies coarsely too. Or grind in a food processor.
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Wash spring onions, discard roots, cut into finger lengths. Cut coriander into one-inch lengths.
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Mix sauce ingredients except for the vinegar or lime juice.
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Heat wok, add oil and when hot, add the garlic, stir fry for one minute, add chillies, stir fry for another minute and add crab or lobster pieces.
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Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes till shells turn slightly red. Stir sauce, add to the crabs or lobster and stir well for 2 minutes. Cover with a lid and simmer over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes till shells turn a bright red.
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Remove cover, squeeze the lime juice over or add the vinegar, stir well and add spring onions. Turn heat off, stir well and serve, garnish with coriander leaves.
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The above menu is served with freshly baked bread pieces.