Canh Cua (Field Crab Soup with Malabar Spinach), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Method

1. Thaw the ground crab first if it is frozen. Put 300g ground crab in a large bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix, then add 500ml water and stir until the crab meat is dispersed.
2. Strain the crab liquid through a sieve to collect the meat, keeping the shells. Add another 500ml water to the shells and strain again to get as much meat as possible.
3. Pick over 200g Malabar spinach, discarding tough stems and bruised leaves, rinse it gently, cut it into short lengths and drain. Peel the luffa, rinse it and cut it into bite sized pieces.
4. Set the pot of crab liquid over medium heat. As the meat starts to gather into a raft, ease it gently off the bottom of the pot.
5. Once the liquid boils, season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon MSG and 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
6. Push the crab raft to one side, add the Malabar spinach and luffa and cook for about 5 minutes until the greens are done. Taste, adjust and turn off the heat.
7. Ladle into bowls and scatter with ground pepper.

Tips

• Add salt to the crab meat before cooking, which helps it set in clouds rather than break into grit.
• Press the greens down gently, since hard stirring breaks up the crab.
• Strain the crab twice, with 500ml of water each time, as a single pass wastes nearly half the meat.
• As the crab starts to set, ease it off the base of the pot with chopsticks so it does not catch.
• Peel the luffa and cut it just before cooking, since the pieces darken on standing.