It was about 2.30pm. We were shopping for bathroom accessories and kitchen faucets for our new place when YS called to say he'd be giving us a dinner treat. He just purchased two gigantic Sri Lankan crabs from the KK wet market, and promised us a hearty meal. Yan's mother almost flipped when she heard that the crabs would have to be killed just before cooking in order to preserve its freshness, i.e. the killing will have to be done right in her kitchen. Nobody was thrilled at the idea, frankly, but we just couldn't resist a scrumptious dinner of chilli crab and steamed crab. Three hours later, YS and wife turned up with a huge brown bag, and straight to the kitchen, they went. I tagged along like a curious inquisitive child. Out came YS' prized acquisition, each of the crab weighing no less than 1.5 kg.
The crabs were first given a thorough scrub.
YS said the killing will be done humanely and with surgical precision. In a single clean jab at a small hole behind the flab of the crab, using a sharp object (he used a chopstick), the crab was swiftly dispatched. I looked away as this was done. Next, he began to skillfully prepare the crab pieces.
He then heated up the wok with some oil for a minute or two, and poured in his special Singapore chilli sauce.
Crab pieces were then added to the curry, constantly stirring to ensure they were evenly covered with the curry. The lid is lowered to cover the wok, allowing the crabs to be simmered for about 5 minutes.
While the crab was simmering in the wok, he diluted a few teaspoon of corn flour with water to use as thickening agent, and beat a few eggs in a separate bowl. The thickening liquid is then added, fire was turned off, and lastly the egg mixture was added to enhance the appearance of the dish.
He stirred the crab for a minute or two, and then arranged them on a serving plate.
Next, garnishes was prepared.
And that was the first dish of the night - the famous Singapore Chilli Crab! He deftly moved on to the next crab. This was bigger than the first (weighed about 1.8 kg), because he knew Yan and I prefer the steamed version. Only the freshest of crabs will make the cut for this kind of preparation, as there were virtually no other ingredients (apart from Chinese rice wine and egg whites which were used more as flavor enhancer at the last cooking step).
He carefully arranged the crab on a serving plate, placed it over a steamer, and allowed steaming for about 5 to 7 minutes.
The crab turned bright orange red when it was done. Egg whites was added, to be followed by a dash of rice wine. The lid was put back on for another 1 minute, and the second dish was ready!
On the side, I prepared chicken and potato curry, using the leftover rendang from a few days ago. I first sauteed potatoes (chunky cuts) in a hot pan until golden brown, and then stir fried the chicken pieces. The two were mixed together, and rendang curry is poured over. I let the concoction simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
The third dish - Chicken and Potato curry - was ready in less than half an hour!
While the dishes were being prepared by YS and Chef C separately, YS' wife steamed some Man Tou (chinese plain buns). Man tou goes really well with curry dishes, and is an excellent alternative to rice or noodle.
And we were ready for a scrumptious meal cooked in style! So cheers!
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