Menu to savour – Singapore Crab for a midweek treat
Jack O’ Bryan’s bar and kitchen in Dunfermline is well worth a trip over the Queensferry Crossing to Fife close to Dunfermline Abbey in the centre of the town.
Head chef Jack Coghill runs the restaurant – which specialises in Iberian food with South American and Asian twists, prepared with the finest Scottish ingredients.
Jack, an accomplished head chef at just 23, is also a skilled chocolatier and pastry chef while his father Bryan who trained him is writing a family cookbook, detailing 40 years of favourite recipes and he provides this midweek recipe for delicious Singapore crab.
Singapore Crab Serves 4
8 Large Cooked Crab Claws from a good quality Fishmonger
1 Large White Onion
1 Green pepper
1 Red pepper
6 Garlic cloves
2 tbs mixed herbs
2 tbs white wine vinegar
2 Veg bouillon stock cubes
2 400g tins of tomatoes
1 handful of fresh coriander
1 handful of fresh basil
2 tsp of red curry paste /add more if more heat is preferred.
2 tbs brown sugar
Salt & Pepper to season
1 Vietnamese Rice Paper
1 Small tin of Crab meat
1 Artisan Crusty Baguette or Sourdough
METHOD
In a medium to large pot sweat off the garlic, onions and peppers until soft. Then add the preferred amount of red curry paste starting with 2 tsp first, then the mixed herbs, white wine vinegar and tomatoes. Lastly adding the stock cubes and the brown sugar. Simmer this for around 30 minutes or until it resembles a thickish stew.
While the sauce is cooking prepare the Crab claws, doing this by gently evenly cracking open the shells with a small hammer, lobster crackers or with the back of a large kitchen knife, once this is done set the claws aside and prepare the rice paper garnish.
Heat the vegetable oil up to 180°C then fry the rice paper in an electric fryer for around 5 seconds each side this will resemble a prawn cracker then drain on some kitchen paper.
Once the sauce resembles a stew, blend it down with a hand blender until the sauce is of a smooth consistency, season to taste with salt & pepper and add a good handful of chopped coriander and a good handful of ripped basil leaves, leaving some for the end garnish, add more red curry paste if you prefer more heat. (Chefs tip, remember for a good spicy sauce you should taste all the ingredients first with the heat coming in at the very end).
Into the Singapore Sauce add the Crab Claws so that the claws are covered by the sauce, place the pot with a lid back onto the cooker and gently heat up to a simmer for around 5 minutes. Then take off the heat and add the tinned crab meat and the remaining basil and chopped coriander.
To serve, place all of the ingredients in a warmed serving dish of your choice with garnish, or if it’s a midweek supper just serve in the pot, with oven warmed artisan bread to mop up all that delicious sauce.
Accompany with a glass of a good quality Riesling and enjoy.
© Jack ’O’ Bryan’s Cookbook
