Hai Phong crab noodle soup starts with a broth made from paddy crab liquid and pork rib stock. Chewy red banh da noodles, sheets of set crab, fish cake and pork wrapped in wild betel leaf make a full bowl. The hardest part is keeping the crab in soft sheets instead of letting it break up through the pot.
The crab liquid has to simmer over low heat with gentle stirring from the bottom up, since vigorous stirring shreds the crab. Tomato cooked in annatto oil gives the broth its red color, and thick tamarind paste brings a clean sourness rather than a sharp one.
This batch weighs about 3.1kg, at roughly 190 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 300g red banh da noodles, soak them in water for 5 minutes, then drain.
Strain 500g paddy crab for 1 liter of crab liquid. Simmer 300g pork spare ribs for 1 liter of stock. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, cut the fish cake into bite sized pieces, and rinse and drain the betel leaves.
Combine 1 liter of rib stock with 1 liter of crab liquid, set it over the heat and season with 1.5 tablespoons seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon MSG, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 charred shallot.
Simmer over low heat, stirring gently so the crab does not stick to the bottom. Once the crab rises and sets into sheets, lift it out and keep it aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons annatto oil and cook the tomatoes with 1/3 teaspoon salt and 1/3 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, then tip them into the crab broth.
Add 1/2 bowl thick tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon MSG, then taste and balance the sour and salty notes.
Make the betel leaf rolls: mix 150g ground lean pork with 2 tablespoons chopped wood ear mushroom and season with 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1/3 teaspoon MSG, 1/3 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon minced shallot and 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce. Wrap the pork in betel leaves and pan fry until cooked.
Dip the noodles briefly in hot water to soften, then put them in bowls with the fish cake, betel leaf rolls, spare ribs, 3 tablespoons pork cracklings and the set crab.
Scatter over spring onion and cilantro and ladle in the hot broth. Serve with water celery, water spinach, boiled water mimosa, Vietnamese balm, mam tom and northern chili sauce.
Tips
Cooking the crab liquid together with the rib stock gives a deeper, rounder broth.
Low heat and gentle stirring from the bottom up is what sets the crab into clean sheets.
Cooking the tomatoes in annatto oil gives the broth its natural red color without any dye.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so season early and taste again after a few minutes.
Dip the noodles only briefly, because a long soak in hot water leaves them soft and broken.
Pan fry the betel leaf rolls close to serving time for the best aroma, since making them early turns the leaves dark and dull.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.