Bird’s nest has long been known as an incredibly nutritious ingredient when preparing dishes. But what delicious flavors will this bird’s nest create when combined with ingredients like crab and abalone? Let’s join TasteVN to make 2 types of soup with crab and abalone bird’s nest to find out. Let’s get cooking!
1. Crab Bird’s Nest Soup
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
2 hours
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Crab Bird’s Nest Soup Serves 4
Crab 600 gr (2 – 3 crabs) Bird’s nest 8 gr (1 nest) Chicken bones 500 gr Chicken eggs 2 eggs Sweet corn 1 ear Enoki mushrooms 100 gr Cornstarch 20 gr Lemon 1/2 fruit Rock sugar 1 teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh crab
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Choose crabs that are of moderate size, within reach, as they are the best quality, with plenty of firm and sweet meat.
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When buying, flip the crab over and press on the crab’s chest (do not press on the crab’s belly). If the chest does not sink in, it is a fresh, firm crab. Conversely, if it sinks, those are crabs that are not fresh.
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You should also observe the crab’s belly; if it fits tightly against the chest, it means the crab has not spawned much and is firm.
How to choose fresh and delicious enoki mushrooms
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Choose mushrooms that are bean-shaped, still fresh, with a firm, white, and shiny cap.
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You should select mushrooms with stems that are not slimy or slightly brown, not bruised, and the mushroom base should not be separated or crumbled.
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When buying, make sure to check the origin, quarantine certification, and expiration date to avoid purchasing low-quality mushrooms.
How to prepare Crab Bird’s Nest Soup
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Prepare the crab
Steam the crab
Wash the crab thoroughly with water and let it drain. Then, place a pot on the stove, add a little water along with the juice of 1/2 lemon, and then put the crab in to steam for 20 minutes on high heat. Note that after squeezing the lemon, you should leave the lemon peel in the pot.
Shell the crab
When the crab is cooked, use your hands to separate the legs and claws and set them aside, then continue to take off the crab’s belly.
Use a knife to separate the shell and the yellow part inside the crab, then break the crab body in half to retrieve the meat.
For the claws, you can gently tap with a pestle to crack the shell and proceed to extract the meat; for the legs, you just need to wiggle the joint a few times and then pull it out forcefully.
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Blanch the chicken bones
Clean the chicken bones with diluted salt water to remove any fishy smell, then rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times and let them drain. Next, chop them into small bite-sized pieces.
Put the chicken bones in a bowl along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then, pour boiling water over the chicken bones and blanch them for 30 – 45 seconds, then remove.
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Prepare the bird’s nest
After purchasing, soak the bird’s nest in cooled boiled water for 1 – 2 hours to soften it.
Once the nest has softened, use your hands or a fork to shred it into small pieces and then strain it through a sieve to drain.
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Making the soup broth
After purchasing, wash the corn briefly with water and then cut it into thick rounds about the thickness of one finger.
Place a pot on the stove, add 1.5 liters of water, then add the chicken bones and cook over medium heat for 30 – 45 minutes.
When it has been cooking for 20 minutes, add the corn and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes before removing the corn and chicken bones.
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Cooking bird’s nest soup
Crack the eggs and beat them until the yolks and whites are well mixed.
Add cornstarch to a bowl, add water equal to 1/3 of the bowl, and stir until the starch is completely dissolved.
After purchasing, cut off the roots of the enoki mushrooms, wash them clean with water, and let them drain.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of rock sugar to the pot of chicken broth and cook until the seasonings dissolve. Then, gradually add the cornstarch while stirring, then slowly pour in the eggs, stirring gently in one direction to create egg strands. Next, add the enoki mushrooms and cook for about another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
Scoop the soup into a bowl, add the crab meat and bird’s nest on top. Then, place a pot on the stove, layer 2 towels under the pot, and add water to about 1/3 of the bowl. Next, place the bowl of bird’s nest soup with the lid on and steam for about 20 minutes over low heat.
Finally, take the bowl of soup out to cool down and enjoy.
Final Product
This soup dish has a blend of sweetness from the boiled chicken bones, the aroma of corn, the soft bird’s nest, and the chewy crab meat. All create a delicious and irresistible sweet dish.
2. Abalone Bird’s Nest Soup
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
2 hours
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Abalone Bird’s Nest Soup Serves 4
Abalone 500 gr (6 – 7 pieces) Bird’s nest 10 gr Chicken bones 500 gr Shiitake mushrooms 60 gr (fragrant mushrooms) Dried red dates 20 gr Corn 1 ear Shallots 1 bulb Lemons 3 fruits Ginger 20 gr Sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon Rock sugar 1 teaspoon Seasoning powder 1/2 teaspoon Pepper 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon
How to Prepare Bird’s Nest Abalone Soup
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Preparing Abalone
After buying abalone, use a brush to scrub it clean under running water.
Next, sprinkle a little salt on the abalone and rub it with lemon to remove the fishy smell and make the abalone less slimy, then rinse it clean with water.
Then, use a spoon to separate the abalone meat and discard the insides. After that, use the brush to scrub it again and rinse it with clean water and let it drain.
Put the prepared abalone into a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, then mix well and marinate for about 20 minutes to absorb the spices.
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Preparing Mushrooms
Cut off the excess stem of the mushrooms, gently scrape the top of the mushrooms with a knife and make a cross cut, then soak in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes. After that, rinse with cold water and let it drain.
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Prepare the bird’s nest
Soak the bird’s nest in boiled water that has cooled for 1.5 – 2 hours until soft.
Then, use your hands or a fork to separate it into strands, then strain through a sieve and let it drain.
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Make the broth for the soup
After buying, wash the chicken bones with diluted salt water, then rinse with cold water, let drain, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Place a pot on the stove, add 1 liter of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. When the water boils, briefly blanch the chicken bones for 30 – 40 seconds and then remove.
Place another pot on the stove, add the blanched chicken bones and cook with 1.5 liters of water over medium heat. When the water boils, reduce to low heat and continue to cook for about 40 more minutes before removing the chicken bones.
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Cooking Soup
You add the abalone to a pot of chicken bone broth along with 1 smashed red onion, chopped ginger, and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes.
Next, add the red apple and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes. After that, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Then season with 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt, 1 teaspoon of rock sugar, and continue cooking until the seasonings dissolve completely, then scoop the soup into a bowl, sprinkle with a few slices of ginger, and cover the bowl.
Prepare a steamer, place 2 towels under the pot, and pour water up to 1/3 of the bowl. Next, place the bowl in and steam for about 30 minutes on low heat. Finally, wait for the bowl to cool down and take it out to enjoy.
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Final Product
This soup will give you a fragrant blend from ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, corn, and ginger. Moreover, you will also taste a light sweetness from the chicken bone broth, bird’s nest, and abalone. All these create a harmony and delicacy for this dish. This soup should be eaten hot, and the abalone dipped in a mixture of salt, pepper, and lime will be very delicious.
How to choose delicious bird’s nest
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Choose bird’s nests with thin rims, thick bases, and threads that are connected to each other forming multiple layers, with the fishy smell of swallow saliva.
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It is advisable to choose bird’s nests with a size of 8 – 10 cm and an average weight ranging from 3.5 – 12 grams. If the weight is over 12 grams, it may be fake nest or nests that have been mixed with many compounds to increase weight.
- You should buy from swallow breeding facilities or reputable bird’s nest supply stores to ensure quality and hygiene.
Notes when cooking bird’s nest soup
- Do not cook the soup at high temperatures.
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Do not steam the bird’s nest for too long as it may cause the nest to become mushy and lose its distinctive flavor.
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Above are 2 ways to cook crab bird’s nest and abalone that are delicious and nutritious. I hope the above recipes can help you easily make this soup. Wish you success.
* Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel Laughing Out Loud
