How to Cook Delicious and Attractive Freshwater Crab Vermicelli with Authentic Hanoi Flavor

How to Prepare Freshwater Crab Noodles

• 1

  Prepare the Ingredients

  Soak the crabs to remove dirt, adding a little salt and letting them sit for about 10 minutes. Remove the crabs, separate the shells, and discard the lower part, keeping the crab meat in a separate bowl.

  Put all the crabs into a mortar and pound them finely or blend them with a little water, noting to add a bit of salt so that the crab meat coagulates when cooked. Strain thoroughly, retaining only the liquid and discarding the crab remains.

  Take the liquid and boil it to obtain crab broth. When you see the crab broth rising to the surface, use a skimmer to remove it into a separate bowl.

  Wash the fresh herbs, drain them, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Peel the shallots, chop 2 of them finely, and slice the remaining ones into rings.

  Peel the shrimp, remove the dorsal vein, and rinse them thoroughly with water. Wash the chili, and chop it finely. Cut the onion into large wedges.

  Tip for Quickly Removing Shrimp Dorsal Vein

  • Count back from the tail of the shrimp to the second groove between the shell segments, insert a toothpick at this spot, and gently pull the black vein to remove it.
  • You can also use a toothpick to pry out the head of the shrimp without cutting it open to find the black vein. Gently pull this black vein out, and the shrimp will be clean.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Grinding shrimp and meat

  Add the ground meat, shrimp, eggs, 2 tablespoons of crab roe, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper into a bowl. Put it in the blender, blend until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a bowl.

  

  
• 3

  Boil and fry the shrimp and meat paste

  Place a pot of water on the stove, add the onion, and cook for about 10 minutes before removing the onion. Season with 2 teaspoons of fish sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder. Add half of the shrimp and meat paste previously prepared, and cook on low heat.

  Meanwhile, heat a pan with 200ml of cooking oil until hot. Use your hands to shape the remaining shrimp and meat paste into flat round pieces about 0.5cm thick. When the oil is hot, drop them in and fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, then remove.

  

  
• 4

  Prepare and stir-fry the crab roe

  Place a pan on the stove, add 15ml of cooking oil, then sauté minced shallots until fragrant, and when the shallots are firm, add the ground crab meat and stir-fry evenly over medium-low heat. Add 2 teaspoons of crab roe, continue to stir-fry well, then turn off the heat and transfer to a separate bowl.

  Continue to use the pan with 30ml of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add minced chili and stir-fry evenly, then turn off the heat.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Fry shallots

  Continue to place a pan on the stove with 150ml of cooking oil, wait until the oil is hot, then add all the sliced shallots, stirring continuously over low heat until the shallots are evenly golden, then turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl.

  Tips for crispy and delicious fried shallots

  • Shallots should be sliced vertically instead of horizontally to achieve a crispier texture when frying.
  • Slice shallots into even pieces to avoid some being thin and others thick, which can lead to uneven cooking and burning.
  • Wait for the oil to really heat up before adding the shallots to fry, helping the shallots to turn golden evenly and stay crispy longer.
  • To make the shallots crispier, you can sun-dry them until slightly wilted (do not dry them completely).

  Tips for preserving fried shallots: Let the fried shallots cool completely, then place them in a clean glass jar, seal tightly, and store in the refrigerator for later use. Fried shallots can be stored for several months while maintaining their crispness, dryness, and delicious aroma.

  

  
• 6

  Blanching the vermicelli

  Put a pot of water on the stove and wait for it to boil, then add the vermicelli and blanch until cooked evenly; when the vermicelli is soft, it can be removed. Observe that the vermicelli turns translucent white, then it can be taken out. Rinse briefly with cold water and quickly mix the vermicelli with 5ml of cooking oil, stirring well to prevent it from sticking together.

  Tips for delicious blanching of vermicelli, not mushy

  • You should boil the water really hot before adding the vermicelli and blanching it over high heat.
  • Stir evenly for about 2 minutes before removing it, and immediately place it in a bowl of cold water to help the vermicelli not become mushy but instead more chewy and delicious.
  • It is advisable to divide the amount of vermicelli into smaller portions for blanching, each time should only be enough for one person to eat.

  

  
• 7

  Blanching the accompanying vegetables

  Boil 1.5 liters of water with 5ml of cooking oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, turn the heat to high. Add the bean sprouts to blanch briefly and then immediately remove them.

  Immediately add the mustard greens thereafter, blanch until just cooked and then remove. Finally, add the water celery, stir a few times and then remove.

  

  
• 8

  Completion

  Place the noodles in a bowl, top with the fried minced shrimp, the crab paste, blanched vegetables, and especially the stir-fried crab fat. Add a bit of fried chili and drizzle with a teaspoon of fish sauce, squeeze a little lime juice and add some fried shallots to finish.

  You should scoop some of the broth from the previously boiled shrimp, add a bit of chopped herbs, and you have a delicious broth to accompany the dish.

  

  
• 9

  Final Product

  The noodles are mixed just right, not sticking together, each strand is chewy and delicious, not at all mushy, served with blanched green vegetables that are crispy and flavorful, complementing the rich sweetness of the crab paste. When eating, you can also enjoy it with a bowl of broth taken from the shrimp and meat cooking water to enhance the dish’s flavor!