From time to time Chef Zonai will share with us some of the amazing recipes he cooks. This recipe is a favourite amongst the Port Douglas locals and always goes down a treat when it is on the specials at Salsa Bar & Grill.
CHILLI MUD CRAB Serves 2-4
Ingredients
Chilli Mud crab sauce
1l vegetable /chicken stock, 80g red long chillies, chopped, 400g crushed tomatoes, 200g Roma tomatoes - diced, 6 kaffir lime leaves, 1 garlic clove - crushed, 30g minced ginger, 30g dark palm sugar, 1 stalk lemongrass, 25 ml fish sauce
Chilli Mud Crabs
1x 1.2-1.5 kg Mud Crab, 1 Peanut Oil, 40 ml ginger wine, 15 sprigs coriander
Coconut Rice
250g Jasmine Rice, 250ml Water, 100ml Coconut Milk, 1 Pandan Leaf
Method
For The Sauce
Sautee Chilli, lemongrass, ginger and garlic in a heavy based pot, add all other ingredients and simmer for about 30 min.
For the Chilli Mud Crabs
Place the mud crab in the freezer for 1 hour until it falls asleep. Flip the top shell off the crab to expose its insides. Remove the feathery gills and stomach sac. Cut the crab into 4 pieces. Crack the large claws with a hammer or nutcracker.
Heat the wok and add peanut oil. Stir fry the crab pieces until they are red , flambé with the ginger wine.
Add the chilli tomato sauce and place a lid over the wok. Simmer for about 5 min. Check the large claws, as they take the longest to cook. The flesh should be white to the cartilage and come away easily when pressed with a knife.
Coconut Rice