Chilli Mud Crab
Sweet Queensland mud crab tossed in a sticky, fragrant chilli, ginger, and tomato sauce. A hands-on coastal feast packed with rich, savoury flavour.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Equipment
- •Large wok or heavy frypan
- •Kitchen tongs
- •Meat mallet or heavy chef knife
- •Chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 26 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 390 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Crack the large crab claws gently using the back of a heavy knife or meat mallet.
- 2
Heat the peanut oil in a large wok over high heat until shimmering.
- 3
Add the chopped garlic, grated ginger, long red chillies, and bird's eye chillies to the wok.
- 4
Stir-fry constantly for 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden.
- 5
Add the crab pieces to the wok and toss vigorously for 2 minutes to coat with aromatics.
- 6
Pour in the tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, and chicken stock.
- 7
Bring the liquid to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for 8 minutes until crab shells turn red.
- 8
Remove the lid and gently stir in the beaten egg to create soft ribbons in the sauce.
- 9
Scatter the spring onion batons over the crab and simmer for 1 final minute until glossy.
- 10
Transfer the crab and sauce to a large serving platter and garnish with fresh coriander.
Chef's tips
Crack the claws just enough for the sauce to seep inside without shattering the shell into small shards. Provide plenty of paper napkins and finger bowls of warm lemon water on the table.
Ingredient substitutions
- mud crab → blue swimmer crabs or Moreton Bay bugs (flathead lobsters)
- peanut oil → vegetable oil or canola oil
Storage
Refrigerate leftover crab in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered frypan with two tablespoons of water over medium-low heat until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Hitting the claws too hard and splintering shell pieces into the sweet meat.
- •Overcooking the crab, which dries out the delicate flesh inside the shell.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Chilli Mud Crab?
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