Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

White Pepper Crab

Singapore-style White Pepper Crab — wok-fried crab in a fragrant, creamy white pepper sauce inspired by zi char and East Coast seafood stalls.

White Pepper Crab

About this dish

White Pepper Crab is a beloved Singapore seafood classic, often found at zi char stalls, East Coast seafood restaurants and family dinners across the island. This version brightens the hawker-style aroma of toasted white pepper with a silky butter-and-milk sauce so it clings to the crab claws and shells — ideal for sharing over steaming white rice or mantou. It suits weekend makan with family, a casual potluck, or when you want a show-stopping main for festive gatherings like Chinese New Year.

The flavour profile is fragrant, peppery and slightly creamy rather than fiery. Toasted white peppercorns (or white pepper powder) give a floral, sharp heat that sits differently from black pepper or chilli. Garlic and shallots form the aromatic base, butter and a splash of evaporated milk or light cream create a lacquered sauce, and a little fish sauce or light soy adds the umami backbone you find in zi char kitchens. The texture is a contrast of sweet, firm crab meat and glossy, pepper-specked sauce — perfect for mopping up with rice.

This recipe is written for the typical Singapore home cook using a wok and common supermarket ingredients (available at NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong). There are tips for achieving wok hei, adjusting spice for kids or kopi-loving adults, and ideas for serving like toasted mantou or a plate of sambal kangkong on the side. Whether you're recreating a hawker-centre favourite or cooking for a weekend family-style feast, this White Pepper Crab brings that local seafood comfort into your kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1.6 kg live mud crab or Sri Lankan flower crab, cleaned and halved (about 2 medium crabs)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for stir-frying)
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
  • 4 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2–3 tbsp toasted white pepper powder (adjust to taste) or 2 tbsp crushed white peppercorns
  • 200 ml chicken stock (low sodium)
  • 120 ml evaporated milk or light cream
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp fish sauce (optional, for umami)
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten (for sheen and silky texture) - optional
  • 2 stalks spring onion, cut into 4 cm batons
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • Fried shallots or sliced red chilli, for garnish
  • Lime wedges or calamansi, to serve
  • Salt to taste

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Prepare the crab: rinse and pat dry. Cut each crab in half (through the body) and crack the claws slightly so the sauce can penetrate; reserve roe and claws. If uncomfortable handling live crab, ask your fishmonger to clean and cut.
  2. Par-cook the crab: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, blanch crab halves for 2–3 minutes until shells just turn bright red. Drain and set aside — this firms the meat and reduces overall wok time.
  3. Toast and prepare pepper: in a dry pan over medium heat, toast whole white peppercorns 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then crush or use white pepper powder. This step brings out the aromatic top notes common in Singapore pepper crab.
  4. Aromatic base: heat a wok on high until very hot, add vegetable oil and 10 g butter. Sear the crab halves for 1–2 minutes per side to get colour; remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high, add remaining butter, then sauté garlic and shallots until soft and golden (about 1–2 minutes).
  5. Build the sauce: add toasted white pepper, chicken stock, light soy sauce, fish sauce (if using) and caster sugar. Bring to a simmer and return crab to the wok. Spoon sauce over the crab and simmer on medium heat for 3–4 minutes so flavours meld.
  6. Enrich and thicken: lower heat to medium, stir in evaporated milk or light cream slowly. If using egg white, drizzle in while stirring to create a silky texture. Add cornstarch slurry a little at a time to thicken to a glossy, clingy sauce — about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning (more pepper, salt or sugar) like at a zi char stall.
  7. Finish: turn up the heat briefly to reduce and concentrate the sauce for 30–60 seconds, then add spring onion batons and toasted sesame oil. Toss gently to coat without breaking the crab meat.
  8. Serve immediately on a large platter with fried shallots and lime wedges. Good accompaniment: steamed white rice or toasted mantou for dipping in the peppery sauce. Leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated in a pan; add a splash of stock if sauce has thickened too much.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Buy fresh live crab from your local wet market or supermarket; NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong stock good options. Ask the fishmonger to pre-clean if you prefer.
  • Toast whole white peppercorns before grinding for a brighter, more complex aroma — pan-toasting brings out floral notes distinctive to Singapore pepper crab.
  • Use a very hot wok for initial searing to get some char and wok hei; then lower heat to simmer the sauce so milk doesn't split. High heat, short time is key for crab.
  • If cooking for kids, reduce the white pepper by half and add extra butter or a touch more milk to mellow the heat.
  • For a silkier sauce, add a beaten egg white slowly off the heat while stirring — this is a common zi char trick to give sheen and body.
  • Make-ahead: you can prepare the sauce base and keep refrigerated for 24 hours; reheat and add freshly cooked crab when ready to serve so the crustacean stays succulent.
  • If you can't find evaporated milk, use light cream or a mix of milk and a little extra butter; adjust seasoning because evaporated milk is slightly sweeter.

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