Chilli crab with coconut rice and sambal (Mark LaBrooy)

Chilli sauce

• 50 g olive oil
• ¼ stalk lemongrass (approx. 3 cm), white part only, cut into thin slices
• 4 fresh long red chillies, trimmed, deseeded if preferred and cut into halves
• 50 g fresh ginger (approx. 5 cm), cut into pieces
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 eschalots, cut into halves
• 5 - 6 sprigs fresh coriander, roots only (approx. 25 g); leaves reserved to serve
• 60 g palm sugar, cut into pieces
• 45 g fish sauce (see Tips)
• 250 g cherry tomatoes

Coconut rice

• 300 g long grain white rice
• 900 g water
• 20 g olive oil
• 200 g coconut milk
• sea salt, to taste

Sambal

• 5 - 6 sprigs fresh coriander, leaves only
• ¼ red onion (approx. 60 g)
• 150 g cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
• 100 g desiccated coconut
• 40 g freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 2 pinches sea salt

Assembly

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 whole fresh crabs (approx. 300 g each), cleaned and cut into halves (see Tips)
• 400 g coconut milk
• 1 spring onion/shallot, trimmed, cut into slices, to serve