Oscar Johnson & Daryl Cooper's Crab Chili

Chili Crab 

I met Oscar and Coop a couple of years ago at an event called A Fish Pickin’, a joyous and abundant annual feast hosted by our mutual friends Jamie Swofford and Keia Mastrianni, both guests on Season 1. Oscar and Coop are known for their creative seafood preparations that unite their family recipes and traditions with their knowledge of cuisines from around the world. Their take on classic chili crab melds African and Asian influences into a dish they would eagerly share at a friends-and-family gathering back home in coastal Virginia.  

I always learn from my guests and my lessons from this cook-along include using and tasting dawa dawa, a seasoning made from the fermented seeds of the African locust bean tree. It’s a traditional ingredient in West African cuisines that adds distinct musky flavor to soups, stews and rice dishes. I read something that described it as a cross between truffles and miso. I also learned that we can find dawa dawa in most international grocery stores and that it keeps well for several months.  

Between takes during the shoot, we discussed the use of red palm oil, a delicious ingredient that’s common in certain cuisines; yet its production is environmentally controversial because it contributes to deforestation and climate change. Oscar and Coop explained that they are careful label readers when it comes to selecting and purchasing a brand of palm oil that comes from eco-friendly processors and sustainable agricultural practices. We should, too.  

Chili crab is bathed in a delicious, aromatic sauce. The guys suggest serving it with rice, fufu, chapati or fry bread to soak it up. 

Serves 4 to 6 

Ingredients  

• 2 1/2 pounds live blue crab 
• 6 guajillo chili peppers, stemmed 
• 2 tablespoons dawa dawa (fermented locust bean) 
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed and roughly chopped 
• 3 small shallots, roughly chopped 
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 
• 1 tablespoon shrimp paste 
• 1/4 cup palm oil 
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato puree 
• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce 
• 4 ounces light beer 
• 2 cups water 
• 1 large egg, beaten 
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions 

Directions

Prepare a large ice bath. Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Place the crabs in the boiling water, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the crabs to the ice bath using tongs and set aside until the crabs are cool enough to handle. Remove the top shell, gills, and the abdomen. Rinse the cleaned crabs under cool water. Cut each crab in half or quarters, depending on their size. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the guajillo chiles, cover, remove from the heat and set aside to soak for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain the chiles and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the dawa dawa, garlic, scotch bonnets, shallots, and ginger, and purée into a smooth paste.  

Set a wok over medium-high and leave until it is almost smoking. Add the shrimp paste and stir until fragrant and toasty, about 1 minute. Add the oil and stir to combine. Add the mixture from the food processor and cook, stirring constantly, until it slightly darkens in color, 2 to 3 minutes.  

Add the beer and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the tomato puree, chili sauce, water, crabs and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the flavors meld and the crab cooks through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, stir to combine, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Remove the crab pieces to a shallow serving dish and keep warm. 

Add the egg to the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the crab, garnish with the cilantro and scallions, and serve warm. 

©Copyright 2024 Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper

Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper originally hail from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia and are the chefs/owners of Jimmy Pearls in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jimmy Pearls is an ode to Virginia soul, which is all about shining light on culturally dense cuisine that honors the ancestors, Virginia’s rich history of Black food and speaks to the chefs’ personal experiences. Collectively, the two chefs curate thoughtfully crafted Southern fare centered around Coastal and Piedmont Virginia foodways as told by the African diaspora. Their menu is led by the traditions of African American culinary history and their family traditions rooted in Virginia and other regions of the U.S and the world. In 2024, they were recognized as James Beard Semi finalists for Best Chef: Southeast, highlighting their culinary excellence and dedication to their craft.

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.