I give everyone on their way to Singapore the same guidance - go to Boat Quay, get the black pepper crab at Jumbo Seafood. They usually call me from Singapore, sometimes while sitting at a crowded table at Jumbo Seafood, to tell me "I am never leaving this place." Singapore is a fantastic place to seek out street food, and of course it’s the home of the impeccably clean "hawker centre". But the Hawker Centres seem to be for great noodles. The waterfront seems to be the domain of the black pepper and chili crab.
As much as I love crab, shrimp are much more plentiful and easy to come by in my local markets, so I adapted the recipe for shrimp. These make a pretty big mess, so you have to decide if you want to peel and devein the shrimp or put out a huge quantity of napkins. This recipe can also be quite spicy, turn back the heat by cutting down on the red pepper.
Black Pepper Shrimp
1 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1b large (10-15) shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp red chili
2 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Garnish:
green onions, finely chopped
chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Put hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl, stir, set aside..
- Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; add the butter, ginger, garlic, chilli, black and white peppers and coriander; stir fry 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce mixture and stir; bring to the boil, then simmer 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and mix by shaking the pan.
- Simmer 4-5 minutes to cooking the shrimp.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions. Serve with rice.