Chili Crab for Pak Mat

A crab feast for the man from Bachok.

Dear Pak Mat,
We have never met in real life but our relationship has blossomed in blogosphere. My cat instinct could sense a sadness in you. A sadness that only comfort eating may cure, in my humble opinion.
So, today, Masterchef Angelina went to the markets and picked some delectable crustaceans - the blue swimmer crabs. Combined with some herbs from our garden and lovely home made chili paste, I humbly present to you a crab recipe that I hope will comfort you.

Should we invite Mrs Mat as well, you said? I'll leave that entirely to you. I'm guessing that she won't be jealous of a spiffy three-year old cat.

Here it is, Chili Crab a la Angelina.

Ingredients: (to serve 2)
2 large crabs, cleaned and cut into two

The bigger the crab, the better. I usually pick the female ones, hoping that there'll be crab roe as well.

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced finely
2 shallots, sliced finely

The prepared garlic, ginger and shallots.

1 large brown onion, sliced into rings

Brown onion rings.

1 bunch fresh coriander, cleaned and cut into 2-inch length
1 bunch spring onions, cleaned and cut into 2-inch length

The spring onions and fresh coriander are from our garden.

4 tablespoonful chili paste, from about 20 dry chilies
2 tablespoonful cooking oil
1 tablespoonful tamarind paste
1 teaspoonful salt
1 tablespoonful brown sugar
1 egg
1 small can of tomato paste

Tomato paste is the secret ingredient in my "sambal".

OK, now that we've prepared all the ingredients, let's start cooking.

1. Heat a large wok, pour cooking oil once it's heated through.
2. Saute garlic, ginger and shallot in hot oil.
3. Add in chili paste, mix and cook through.
4. Add tamarind paste, tomato paste, salt and sugar. Mix and cook through.

Tomato paste helps me achieve the red and menacing look of the gravy without adding too much heat if more chili paste had been used.

5. Add in the crabs and brown onion.

Brown onion has a natural sweet taste that adds to the yumminess of the dish.

6. Mix thoroughly. I had to use two spatulas for the job.

Each piece of crab should be coated with the gravy.

7. Let the gravy simmer for a bit and check if crabs are cooked through.
8. Break an egg into the gravy, mix through. The egg helps thicken the gravy.
9. Plonk in the fresh coriander and spring onion, remove wok from heat.

Add egg, coriander and spring onion just before serving.

Phew! That was a good exercise in the kitchen for me. But it's a labour of love for you, Pak Mat. Let's have dinner now.

Hmmm....best served with white rice.

I've also cooked some mix vege as the side dish.

Peaches and plums for dessert.

After dinner, a breath of fresh air at the balcony. Too bad there's no full moon tonight......or else it will be purrrfect for us.

It's a pleasure having you over for dinner, Pak Mat. Happy memories to bring home to Bachok, I hope. purrr....meow!

Australian Fruits 101

It is mid-summer now. My Mama says this is the best time of the year, for her, as this is the time when her favourite fruits will be in season. She loves fresh figs and plums. Let me tell you a bit about the plums as somehow it’s connected to me.
Mama says her favourite is the Angelina plums. I have the picture here. I did a bit of research about this fruit that bears my name.
About Angelina: Angelina Burdett plums are round to oval, medium-sized clingstone plums with bluish-black skin. They have sweet, juicy yellowish-green flesh. The tree is self-fertile to the point that it will even need some thinning as the fruit is growing. It is ready for harvesting late summer, early autumn. Can be used for cooking or eating out of hand. The plum was bred around 1850 (some think 1843) by a Mr Dowling of Woolston, Southampton, England. Named after a philanthropist, the Baroness Angelina Burdett-Coutts (1814–1906), granddaughter of the banker Thomas Coutts.
Scientific notes: A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera (peaches, cherries, bird cherries, etc) in the shoots having a terminal bud and the side buds solitary (not clustered), the flowers being grouped 1-5 together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side, and a smooth stone. Also called Prunus domestica (Scientific Name) Prune (French) Pflaumen (German) Prugna (Italian) Ciruela (Spanish) Ume (Japanese).
General information: Plums are the second most popular fruit in the world (apples are the most popular.) You can classify plums in many ways. One is based on what you do with them -- either eating them raw or cooking with them. Another divides them into three families: European, Damson, Japanese. Yet another is to look at those that are freestone -- the flesh separates easily from the pit -- from those that aren't (clingstone).
Not all plums are plum-coloured -- that is to say, purple. They also come in green, yellowish green, yellow and red. Consequently, it can be hard to tell if a plum is ripe based on colour, unless you are familiar with the variety. The best way to tell if it is ripe is just to squeeze it slightly to see if it is soft. Meanwhile, avoid all the bruised fruit that everyone else has squeezed. Plums will, like many fruits, continue to ripen after picking.
If the plums are firm, you can set them out at home at room temperature for a day or two for them to soften. Placing them in a paper bag will speed up the process. Though they will soften, they won't sweeten any more after they are picked. Once they are ripe, they are good for about 3 days in the refrigerator. All plums freeze and preserve well.
Nutrition: Good source of potassium, Vitamin A and fibre. An average plum has anywhere from 30 to 60 calories. The pit of the plum has cyanogens in it, which are bound molecules of sugar and cyanide. When this bond is broken, the cyanide becomes free and able to act. The cyanogens don't leak at all into the flesh of the fruit, for some reason, but should it ever occur to you to try fermenting plum pits, or to break them up and roast them as snack food, it might not be such a great idea.



Mama's favourite snack - Angelina plums....don't they look yummy?