Crab Singapore
Eva Kolenko
Yields 10 Servings Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
AuthorRecipe by Jeem Han Lock, Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant & Satay Bar

Because of Sunset’s proximity to the Pacific Rim, our pages have always been full of recipes from Asia, and one of our longtime food editors, Linda Lau Anusasananan, brought in scores of them. She came back from Seattle’s Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant & Satay Bar in 1994 with this recipe for Dungeness crab, which then-chef Jeem Han Lock insisted be kicking when pulled from the tanks. (Indeed: Fresh-cooked crab is the sweetest. To learn how to tackle it, see Dungeness 101: How to Cook Crab.) We often feature crab for the holidays, and this classic recipe ranks right up there with boiled crab and cioppino.

How to Make It

1

If crab was cooked the day before, rinse before using. Rinse shells.

2

Pulse garlic and ginger into a paste in a food processor.

3

Set a roasting pan over two burners on high heat; add oil. When oil is hot, add garlic-ginger paste and cook, stirring, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add Singapore Chili Sauce and heat, stirring with a wide spatula, until boiling. Boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Add crab and heat until warmed through, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

4

Serve crab in roasting pan, or arrange in a deep platter. Top with the back shells, if you like, and cilantro. Serve with rice.

Ingredients

 6 cooked Dungeness crabs (2 to 2 1⁄2 lbs. each), cleaned and cracked, back shells saved if you like
 18 garlic cloves
 ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
 ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
 Cilantro sprigs, for topping
 Hot cooked rice, for serving

Directions

1

If crab was cooked the day before, rinse before using. Rinse shells.

2

Pulse garlic and ginger into a paste in a food processor.

3

Set a roasting pan over two burners on high heat; add oil. When oil is hot, add garlic-ginger paste and cook, stirring, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add Singapore Chili Sauce and heat, stirring with a wide spatula, until boiling. Boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Add crab and heat until warmed through, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

4

Serve crab in roasting pan, or arrange in a deep platter. Top with the back shells, if you like, and cilantro. Serve with rice.

Crab Singapore