The chili sauce should be thick but pourable, like gravy. Add the crabs to the chili sauce and toss them so that they’re well coated. Put two crab halves in each of four serving bowls.

Chilli crab, or mud crabs cooked in savoury tomato and chilli sauces as well as eggs, is an iconic dish in Singapore It began, as many great inventions do, with an accidental discovery.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and chilli paste and fry till fragrant. Add the crab and stir-fry until the shells turn slightly red. Add the sauce. Stir well, cover the wok and ...