July 30, 2007

I Got Crabs

On our adult’s night out in Cape May, we’d tasted a dish of Lemongrass-Crab Soup that was simply to die for. Naturally I thought I could do better. A quick trip to Newark, Delaware’s fabulous yet confusing Asian-Mexican market yielded the necessary ingredients, and of course I proved myself right.


Lemongrass-Crab Soup

12 oz. Lump Crab Meat
4 tbsp. Lemongrass, minced
1 Sweet Onion, sliced very thin
3 Cloves, garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Ginger, minced
6 Green Onions, white and green parts, sliced and divided
2 Qt. Chicken Stock
12 oz. Clam Juice
Drops Fish Sauce
Salt and Pepper
8 oz Rice Vermicelli
1 tbsp. Butter

Fill a large bowl with hot water and submerge the rice vermicelli. In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and the white part of the green onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the lemongrass, garlic and ginger and sauté for two minutes more. Add the chicken stock and clam juice and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add a few drops of fish sauce. Taste. If you like, add a few more drops of fish sauce. Do not under any circumstances add fish sauce by any more than a few drops at a time! Fish sauce is very strong, and in the words of my brother-in-law, if you add too much you will die! Shortly before you are ready to eat, remove the vermicelli from the hot water and add it to the soup. Add the lump crabmeat and stir. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Top with the green part of the green onion and serve.

Divine, darling, simply divine.