Chilly weather, chili crabs.

Last week I went skiing in Snowmass, Colorado. My family and some friends stayed in a condo with a full kitchen, which was a nice change from previous places we'd stayed where the closest you could get to cooking was heating some water in a coffee maker for instant noodles. For two families who love to cook, it was a perfect setup. We made all kinds of goodies which I'll write about in the next week, even including a chocolate birthday cake (for my mom's upcoming birthday) and my mom's requisite biscuits.

Among the usual groceries, we ordered two giant boxes of fresh seafood which included clams, mussels, oysters, crabs, and even a geoduck. One of the nights we took some of the crab and made Singapore chili crab -- a spicy, flavor-packed seafood dish that cleared (temporarily, at least) my sinuses of a dreadful head cold I had developed. I remember hearing about this famous dish on Season 7 of Top Chef, but I had never had it before. Served over jasmine rice, it was the perfect (finger lickin') dish on a cold Colorado night.

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Singapore Chili Crab
(Adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe)

3 whole cooked Dungeness crabs (serves 6)

1/4 c ketchup

2 T hot chili paste

2 T oyster sauce

2 T soy sauce

1-2 T lime juice

3 T oil (peanut, preferably)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 (1") piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 serrano chile, chopped

2 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

Remove the main shell, gray gills, and the soft insides of the crab. Cut the body in half.

In a bowl mix the ketchup, chili paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice; thin with 1/4 cup water and set aside. Pour the oil into a large pot (you want something with high sides so the crab doesn't come spilling out while you toss it) over high heat. Add the scallion, ginger, garlic, half the chile, and cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Add the crab and stir-fry for another minute. Pour in the sauce and continue cooking, stirring often, until the crab has absorbed the sauce and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Put onto a platter and garnish with the rest of the chile and cilantro.

(Here's an action shot)