Recipe: Black Pepper Crab

I was going to feature my third recipe using red bean paste today, but I changed my mind because I have a dish which is way more interesting to share. Please welcome Mr. Stone Crab (yes, it was a he) and its peppery concubines, all happily mingled with loads of butter, dried shrimp, aromatic curry leaves, bird's-eye chilies, and other seasonings. Black pepper crab to Malaysians is like chili crab to Singaporeans (in my opinion); ask any Malaysian and I am sure they have had their fair share and taste of this wonderful dish... This black pepper crab recipe is adapted from Authentic Recipes from Malaysia. (If you are serious about Malaysian food, this is the cookbook you should buy.) It's over-the-top delicious and as good as (if not better than) what you get from restaurants. A must-try. Cook's note: I used stone crab for this recipe because I just love the big, juicy, and succulent claws of stone crabs, and this recipe is perfect for those claws! Recipe: Black Pepper Crab (Source: Authentic Recipes from Malaysia) This is a real Malaysian dish, starting with mud crabs and Chinese seasonings, adding Indian black pepper and curry leaves, enriching the flavour with butter and then tossing in Malay bird's-eye chilies for a knock-out result. 3 fresh mud crabs (about 1 lb each) Oil for deep frying 2 tablespoons butter 2 shallots, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 1 tablespoon salted soya beans, mashed 2 tablespoons dried prawns, roasted and ground 2 tablespoons black pepper, ground coarsely 1/2 cup curry leaves 10 red or green bird's-eye chilies, chopped 2 tablespoons black soy sauce 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons oyster sauce Clean the crabs and cut in half, discarding the spongy "dead man's fingers." Smash the claws with a cleaver to allow the seasonings in. Deep fry the crab until half-cooked, drain and set aside. Heat a wok, melt butter and put in shallots, garlic, salted soy beans, dried prawns, black pepper, curry leaves and chilies. Saute till fragrant, then add crab and the remaining ingredients. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the crab is done.