I did notice that Singapore boasts 2 entries. Chicken Rice and Chili Crab. Now Chili Crab I get, serious yum. The sauce is spicy but not overly so, the crab is meaty and sweet. It is however sloppy and messy so I wouldn't order it if you were on a first date, or if you are wearing a white shirt. We loved to go to Jumbo Seafood on East Coast in Singapore for Chili Crab. All of our visitors loved it! The best part of the whole dish is sopping up all the extra sauce with these little fried buns that they serve along side.
Chicken Rice? C'mon, it's nothing more than steamed or boiled chicken served atop oily not great flavored rice with a side of baby Kai Lan. On the side are 3 little dipping bowls with dark soy, chili paste, and ginger. They perk the dish up a bit but certainly not most delicious in the world perked up. Now I'm certain that people will say that I just never had good Chicken Rice, and there will probably be a campaign launched to ban me from ever re-entering the country because of this blasphemy, but I stand by my opinion. Chicken Rice is just, meh.
Really? World's most delicious?
So what would be on MY list? Lechon Asada with Mojo (Cuban Roast Pork), Dungeness crab and Copper River Salmon, A perfectly ripe peach, Yum Sam O (Thai pomelo salad), Chicken Adobo....Most likely my list stems from memories, emotions, or the people who made them. Your list would be different.
So tell me, what would be on your list?
Singapore-Style Chili Crabs
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Ingredients
2 whole cooked Dungeness crabs
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons hot chili paste
2 tablespoons oyster sauce or Indonesian soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 serrano chile, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
Directions
Pull the main shell off the crab and discard it. Remove the gray gills and the soft insides. Cut the body in half and then cut between each leg. Crack the legs and claws with the back of the knife or a hammer and set aside.
In a bowl mix the ketchup, chili paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and tamarind paste; thin it with 1/4 cup water and set aside. Pour the oil into a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the scallion, ginger, garlic, 1/2 the chile, and cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Add the crab and stir-fry for another minute. Pour in the sauce and continue cooking, stirring often, until the crab has absorbed the sauce and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Put onto a platter and garnish with the rest of the chile and cilantro. Serve with plenty of napkins!
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