Banh Canh Cua (Crab Tapioca Noodle Soup)
This Banh Canh Cua recipe is an explosion of fresh crab flavor and slippery tapioca noodles! With a thick seafood broth, it's a gem everyone should try!
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 10 L / 41 US cups chicken and pork stock
- 800 g / 1.8 lb daikon ((peeled))
- 400 g / 0.9 lb jicama ((peeled))
- 30 g / 0.07 lb dried squid ((found in Asian supermarkets))
- 70 g / 0.15 lb dehydrated scallops ((found in Asian supermarkets))
- 500 g / 1.1 lb frozen crab meat ((we buy it from our local seafood shop))
- 2 tbsp annatto seeds ((found in Asian supermarkets))
- 1 tbsp oil ((for the annatto seeds))
- 70 g rock sugar ((or to taste))
- 6 tbsp salt ((or to taste))
- 1/2 US cup fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 US cup potato starch ((for the starch slurry))
- 1/4 US cup water ((for the starch slurry))
- 1 pork hoc ((ask the butcher to cut it into smaller pieces))
- 1 crab ((or more))
- 1 box blood jelly ((optional))
- 20 fresh prawns ((peeled and deveined))
- 1 red shallot ((finely chopped))
- 3 cloves garlic ((finely chopped))
- 1 sprig spring onion ((finely chopped))
- 1 tbsp oil ((for frying aromatics))
- 1/4 tsp salt ((or to taste))
- 1/2 tsp sugar ((or to taste))
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper ((or to taste))
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- cooking oil ((for frying))
- 2 kg / 4.4 lb Banh Canh tapioca noodles ((found in Asian grocery stores))
- coriander ((finely chopped))
- spring onion ((finely chopped))
- fried onions
- pepper
- lime juice
Instructions
- 1
Add the pork hoc to the stock and cook it on a low-medium heat.
- 2
Bring the stock to a gentle simmer, then grill the dried squid and put them into the broth.
- 3
Cut up the jicama and daikon into large chunks.
- 4
Turn up the heat to high and add the jicama, daikon and dehydrated scallops into the soup.
- 5
After 40 minutes of cooking or when soft, take the hoc pieces out and set aside.Note: If you're using boneless pork, they can be sliced thinly to be used as a topping.
- 6
Pour 1 tbsp oil into a small pan and turn the heat to low. Add the annatto seeds in and cook for 1 minute or until its color begins to change. Note: You're looking for the oil to turn red, which will color the Banh Canh Cua broth.
- 7
Use a sieve to strain the annatto-infused oil into the broth, then season with salt, rock sugar, fish sauce and chicken bouillon powder.
- 8
Heat up a small pan on medium heat and brown the garlic, red shallots and spring onions with 1 tbsp oil. Set it aside to cool.
- 9
Combine the fried aromatics with salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, pepper, fish sauce and the prawns in a food processor, then process the ingredients into a paste.
- 10
Heat up the oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Shape the paste into balls 2cm (0.8") wide using spoons or hands and fry them for 5 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked.
- 11
Bring the pot to a gentle boil and add the prawn balls into the broth.
- 12
Add the frozen crab meat in.
- 13
Cut up the crab and place them in the soup to cook for 15 minutes or until the flesh is cooked, then remove and set aside until eating time.
- 14
To thicken the soup, mix the starch slurry in a bowl until it forms a runny liquid. Slowly pour it into the broth on a low heat while stirring the pot consistently.
- 15
Bring another pot of water to a boil and add the banh canh in. These noodles are already cooked, so they will only need 3-5 minutes before they can be strained and set to drip dry.
- 16
To assemble the dish, line the bottom of your bowl with tapioca noodles then top it with the pork hoc, fried prawn balls, crab and blood jelly. Pour hot soup over the ingredients and garnish with herbs and a squeeze of lime juice!