Bu Pad Gratiem Prik Thai (Crab Fried with Garlic and Peppercorns)

A week or two ago now, we had a visit to Manchester which gave me chance to visit China town which has some fantastic food stores and restaurants. I’ve been cooking up a whole bunch of new recipes with the ingredients I picked up from Siam Supermarket this is the first of four to come. The supermarket also features a cafe called Siam Smiles which we ate at and it really did make me smile! It was a typically casually affair, like all good Thai cafes and I was thrilled to see a flavour caddy on the table (way better than regular salt and pepper) and a little pot of nam prik pao (chilli paste). I ordered the Laab Mu (chopped pork salad) which was meaty (pork and I think, liver), lots of herbs, sour and salty and a perfect amount of chilli. My husband chose the Khao Pad Moo Grob (deep fried pork fried rice) which I have re-created for a recipe later this week. The verdict- wonderful flavours, definitely not Westernised, great value for money- absolutely perfect and definitely one to return to the next time we’re back in Manchester.
Now back to the recipe; this is a dish that’s quick to prepare and cook, looks great for a special occasion or party but does require you to get hands on and messy when eating.
For two people use:

• 500g or thereabouts of fresh crab claws
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• a few stems of fresh green peppercorn, pulled off stems
• 1 large red chilli, sliced
• a big splash of oyster sauce
• a big splash of fish sauce (nam pla)
• a big splash of light soy sauce
• vegetable oil for frying

Prepare the crab claws first by individually wrapping each in a tea towel and lightly crack them with a pestle or heavy rolling pin (discard any small shell fragments).
Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large wok and when hot, throw in the garlic and chilli, stir frying for 20 seconds or so before adding the crab claws and peppercorns. Stir fry for 3 minutes before adding in the sauces. Fry for a further minute to make sure everything gets well coated and serve.
Don’t even attempt to use cutlery with this- it’s fingers all the way!