Busters Recipes

Vietnam-Asparagus Crab Soup (Sup Mang Tay Cua)
  
  2 1/2 quarts water
2 pounds pork bones
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 shallots or 2 scallions, white part, chopped
1/2 pound crab meat, fresh, frozen, or canned
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 15 ounce can white asparagus, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup chopped scallion greens
  
  Bring water to a boil and put the pork bones in. Remove the scum, then cover and continue

to boil the bones for 1 hour. Remove the bones from the stock and discard. Add the salt and

the fish sauce to the stock.
Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and shallots; add the crab meat and fry for 5

minutes over high heat. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, stirring constantly,

then add the crab meat mixture to the soup and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch and

water mixture and stir for a few minutes.
Break the egg open and drop it into the actively boiling soup while stirring. Cook, still

stirring, for about 2 minutes, then drop in the asparagus, along with the liquid from the

can and the rest of the black pepper. Continue to cook until the asparagus is heated

through. Sprinkle the coriander and scallion green over the soup before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.