Black Pepper Mud Crab, Singapore Style

Ingredients

• 3 lb Mud Crab, cleaned and cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
• 6 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inches ginger, minced
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 red chilies, sliced
• ½ cup chicken stock

Method

1. Toast the cracked peppercorns in a dry wok over medium heat for 2 minutes until they smell hot and floral. This step is the entire dish — undertoasted pepper just tastes dusty.
2. Melt the butter with the oil in the same wok, then cook the garlic, ginger, shallots, curry leaves, and chilies slowly over medium-low until soft and fragrant, 6 minutes. Don't rush them to brown.
3. Add the toasted pepper, oyster sauce, dark soy, and sugar and stir into a thick, dark paste.
4. Add the Mud Crab pieces and toss to coat, then pour in the stock, cover, and steam 8–10 minutes until the shells are bright orange and the meat is opaque all the way to the joint.
5. Uncover and toss hard over high heat for 2 minutes so the sauce reduces to a coating rather than a puddle. Serve with mantou buns and no regard for your shirt.