Salt and pepper crab is one of those rare dishes that feels restaurant-worthy yet entirely achievable at home. Found in kitchens and restaurants from China to Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, it’s a dish that is as culturally adaptable as it is iconic.
In the new six-part series, Rick Stein's Australia, Rick Stein shows viewers how to make salt and pepper crab at home, while also touching on the dish’s local story.
The series opens in Sydney, where a visit to Chinatown introduces him to the dish. In episode one, Stein creates his own take on the Cantonese classic, describing it as a homage to Sydney’s Chinatown and its influence on local food culture.
“This is a nod to Chinatown,” Stein says, before preparing the dish for viewers. To keep things accessible, he uses pre-cooked crab, lightly dusting and frying it before tossing it through a fragrant mix of salt, white pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, five-spice, sugar, MSG, garlic, chilli, spring onion and fresh ginger. The Sichuan peppercorns bring a gentle numbing heat, while the five-spice adds warmth and depth.
It’s crisp. It’s dry…It’s a perfect dish for me.Rick Stein
“I really like this Chinese dish,” says Stein. “It’s crisp. It’s dry. You’ve got the lovely back flavours of five spice, white pepper corns and Sichuan pepper. It’s a perfect dish for me.”
Stein serves his ‘perfect’ dish with a side of blanched bok choy, dressed with oyster sauce, soy and sesame oil.
“Great Chinese food is all about simplicity. You can’t get simpler than that! [This recipe] brings out the best in the crab and then, the lovely luscious bok choy to go with it. I am in heaven.”
Variations on the Cantonese classic
Across the globe, salt and pepper crab has evolved into countless variations, each shaped by a chef’s cultural perspective and cooking style. Here are four other distinct takes on the Cantonese classic.
Luke Nguyen’s traditional salt and pepper crab
Australian-Vietnamese chef, Luke Nguyen, honours the dish’s traditional Chinese roots by cooking the crab in Cantonese-style: in hot oil.
Unlike Stein’s recipe, Nguyen uses raw crab which he dusts in potato starch and fries until golden. The result is a light, crisp shell that gives way to sweet, delicate meat.
His seasoning comprises of salt, white pepper, sugar, ginger powder and five-spice. The seasoning gets tossed through the crab at the end, with fried shallots, garlic, chilli and spring onion.
“It’s a visually stunning dish. Let your senses take you on a salt and pepper adventure,” Nguyen says on SBS Food.
Dan Hong’s Singaporean black pepper crab
In Dan Hong’s recipe, he moves away from ‘salt and pepper’ to embrace Singapore’s famous black pepper crab.
So instead of giving the crab a dry finish, the crab gets cooked in a butter-rich sauce with chicken stock, oyster sauce and crushed black pepper.
The result is bold, glossy and pepper-forward. It’s less about crunch and more about celebrating the richness of the sauce that clings to the crab.
Gaspar Tse’s black pepper crab spaghetti
Chef Gaspar Tse takes Singapore’s black pepper crab one step further with black pepper crab spaghetti.
He uses bisque from crab shells, white wine and fennel to dress the spaghetti. Then, he unites black pepper crab with herbs and stracciatella.
This variation is proof of the dish’s multicultural flexibility that extends across cooking techniques, flavours and ingredients.
Adam Liaw’s white pepper crab
Adam Liaw keeps peppery-heat front of mind when cooking with crab, opting for a white pepper variation.
Unlike black pepper or five spice which can be heavy, Liaw’s white pepper sauce for a warm, floral spice flavour.
“A Singaporean specialty, among locals this dish is arguably more popular than the chilli crab that visitors to Singapore love,” says Liaw on SBS Food. “There are many different variations of this dish – some creamy, some spicy – but my version keeps it quite simple.”
Rick Stein's Australia premieres Thursday 30 April at SBS and SBS On Demand. Episodes air weekly on SBS starting Thursday 30 April at 7.30pm, with new episodes arriving weekly at SBS On Demand. The series will also go to air on SBS Food on Wednesday nights starting 6 May.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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