Black Pepper Crab

I love crabs and crabs love me - Enough said! I got this recipe from SBS.com. The whole recipe word to word is from their site. It was just perfect!! I did not fry the crabs, however, as I had precooked steamed crabs. I just tossed them in the sauce and let steam for 5 to 8 minutes before serving. Thanks to HP for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 4blue swimmer crabs
• 250 ml(1 cup) vegetable oil
• 35 g(¼ cup) black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 4garlic cloves, sliced
• 5 cmpiece ginger, peeled, sliced
• ½bunch spring onions, sliced
• 2long red chillies, thinly sliced
• 60 ml(¼ cup) soy sauce
• 60 ml(¼ cup) oyster sauce
• 2 tspcaster sugar
• 80 gunsalted butter, chopped
• 125 ml(½ cup) chicken stock
• 1bunch coriander, leaves picked

To prepare crabs, break off tail flaps on the underside and discard. Carefully pull off back shells and reserve. Remove ‘dead man’s fingers’ (soft gills) and discard, then rinse and discard stomach sac. Cut each crab in half lengthwise, then crack large claws to ensure they cook through. Pat crabs dry using paper towel.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). Add crabs in batches and cook, turning occasionally, for 2 minutes or until just before cooked through. Using tongs, remove crabs and drain on paper towel.

Remove half the oil from wok and discard. Add peppercorns, garlic, ginger, half the spring onions and half the chillies to the wok and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, butter and chicken stock, and simmer for 1 minute. Return crab to wok and simmer, turning occasionally, for a further 4 minutes or until sauce has reduced. Top with remaining spring onions, chillies and coriander leaves, and serve immediately.