ASPARAGUS CRAB SOUP (Sup Mang Tay Cua)
The French introduced asparagus to the Vietnamese, who
promptly incorporated this classic vegetable into their cuisine.
The Vietnamese word for asparagus is "Western bamboo," due to
its resemblance to bamboo shoots. Asparagus is universally
popular throughout Vietnam. This light, tasty dish will delight your
family as well.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 qt. water
2 lb. pork bones
2 tsp. salt
1 T. fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 shallots or 2 scallions (white part), chopped
1/2 lb. crab meat, fresh, frozen, or canned
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. water
1 egg
1 (15 oz.) can white asparagus, undrained
1/4 C. chopped fresh coriander (Chinese parsley)
1/4 C. chopped scallion greens
Bring water to a boil and put the pork bones in. Remove the scum,
then cover and continue to boil the bones for 1 hour. Remove the
bones from the stock and discard. Add the salt and the fish sauce
to the stock.
Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and shallots; add the crab
meat and fry for 5 minutes over high heat. Sprinkle with
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, stirring constantly, then add the
crab meat mixture to the soup and bring to a boil. Add the
cornstarch and water mixture and stir for a few minutes.
Break the egg open and drop it into the actively boiling soup
while stirring. Cook, still stirring, for about 2 minutes, then drop
in the asparagus, along with the liquid from the can and the rest
of the black pepper. Continue to cook until the asparagus is
heated through. Sprinkle the coriander and scallion green over
the soup before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
B-man
