Crab Sauce
2 tablespoons oil (corn or vegetable)
3 teaspoons garlic
1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek(chili paste)
3 12-ounce cans young coconut juice
1 knob ginger (approx. 3 inches), peeled and sliced
6-8 coriander roots, chopped
3 teaspoons fish sauce (to taste)
6 Kaffir lime leaves (leave whole)
6 stalks lemongrass (white part), smashed and chopped
6 cilantro roots, washed and chopped
Sauté garlic and chili paste in hot oil. Add coconut juice, ginger and chopped coriander root. Reduce liquid by half. Add fish sauce. While mixture is still hot, add Kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. Let cool. Strain sauce through fine mesh strainer and set aside.
Soft-Shell Crabs
8 soft-shell crabs
all-purpose flour for dredging
2 tablespoons oil (corn or vegetable), more as needed
Clean crabs by removing lungs and snipping off face and eyes. Dredge in flour. Sauté in pan with hot oil for approximately 2 minutes on each side, until crispy.
Warm Rice Noodle Salad
2 tablespoons oil (corn or vegetable)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons sliced scallions (white section only)
1 cup sliced lean pork, cut into julienne strips
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1 package dried rice vermicelli noodles
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh mint, coriander
leaves and green part of scallions
1/2 cup soaked and rinsed julienne strips of wood ear mushrooms
fresh mint, cilantro sprigs for garnish
Sauté garlic and scallions in hot oil until aroma is released. Add pork, fish sauce and pepper; stir fry until cooked. Add noodles (first, soak them in warm water until soft; then rinse and drain. I cut the noodles with scissors to make them into smaller lengths.) Stir fry until cooked. You might have to add some water to cook noodles. They should be stir fried until dry. Add herbs and wood ear at the last minute.
To assemble: Place a pile of noodles in center of plate. For each serving, cut 2 crabs in half and place the 4 pieces cut side down and rear into noodles. Their legs should be sticking straight up. Garnish noodles with fresh mint and cilantro sprigs. Sauce plate with crab sauce immediately before serving. Serves 4.
