Alimango sa Gata (Crab in Coconut Milk)

I came up with this recipe when I was recreating my Mom’s wonderful crab in coconut milk recipe. Of course it will never be the same as hers but I think this is just as good in its own right. It has become one of my signature recipes and every time I tell people what the secret is (the crab's fat) the squeamish Caucasians who normally boil their crab and dip it in butter find it a little... well... I'll leave it to you to fill in the missing words. Those who has never tried taba ng alimango/aligue (crab fat) which is a Filipino delicacy would never know what they're missing. Anyway, this is great using fresh coconut milk, but if it is not available, canned coconut milk works well too. Make sure to purchase live crab.

1 large mud crab or dungeness crab (1 lb) cleaned but left whole
1 thumb-sized ginger, peeled and crushed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium red onion
2 lemongrass, trimmed, pounded and neatly tied in bundles
1 tbsp madras curry powder
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 lady finger chili (siling pangsigang)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups thick coconut milk

In a large pot over high heat, saute the ginger, lemongrass, onion and garlic until fragrant.

Add the cleaned crab, season with vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the lady finger chili, cover and cook until the liquid dries up and the crab is cooked about 10 minutes.

Remove crab from the pot then pour the coconut milk. Shake the pot or stir to make sure the coconut milk doesn’t curdle. Add the oyster sauce and curry powder. Do not cover. Stir occasionally to distribute the seasoning and to thicken the sauce.

Cut the crab in four equal parts, now the most important part, scrape the fat from the shell and incorporate in the sauce.

Discard the shell and add the crab into the sauce. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes giving the pot an occasional shake or stir. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with rice or baguette.

Yields: 4 servings