In his yellow-painted kitchen, with saucepans hanging on the walls and lace curtains at the windows, Clark showed me the dough he'd prepared for the dumplings, a mix of cornmeal, wheat flour and water. He marinated the crabs in ginger and garlic, and began the sauce by pouring a ladle of vegetable oil to heat with a clove of garlic, then added curry powder mixed with a little water, which sizzled in the oil, sending up a fragrance of mingling spices. Once the sauce was bubbling, Clark added the crabs and a squirt of ketchup, followed by a litre of coconut milk.