Mai

Remember those beautiful salted duck eggs that we made? We promised that we would share some recipes with you can make with them and here is an amazing one.

We were lucky enough to snatch some last-of-the-season soft shell crabs and knew we had to combine these two ingredients that are already amazing on their own to make something even more incredible.

Soft shell crabs are such a delight. These are crabs that have recently molted their old exoskeleton and are still soft. The entire soft-shell crab is edible, minus a couple of small parts. They are incredibly tender, juicy, sweet, and flavorful.

Salted egg yolks are umami and decadent. Some say their flavor is reminiscent of aged hard cheeses like parmesan.

For this recipe, the soft shell crabs are coated in tapioca starch and fried until golden and crispy, then cooked in a sauce garlicky, rich, and almost buttery salted egg yolk mixture. It’s hard to find words that adequately describe the complex flavor profile of this dish.

Soft shell crabs are hard to come by, but you can try this recipe with shrimps or fish fillets- we’re certain it would still make for quite a treat!

INGREDIENTS FOR CUA LỘT RANG TRỨNG MUỐI

• Soft shell crabs – Cua lột: These are not a special breed of crabs, but regular crabs (the species depend on your region) that have recently molted their old exoskeleton and their new shells are still soft. Soft-shell crabs are removed from the water as soon as they molt or, preferably, just before to prevent any hardening of their shell. Because you can eat the entire shell, the flavors are incredibly strong and the texture is incredible.
• Salted duck eggs – Trứng vịt muối: Duck eggs that have sat in salt or a salt brine for an extended period of time, allowing the salt to penetrate the shells and take over the eggs. The yolk is particularly flavorful, it is fatty, salty, and umami. They are usually available at Asian grocery stores but can be easily made at home using our recipe. You just need to plan ahead a few weeks.
• Tapioca starch – Bột năng: A gluten-free starch that comes from the cassava plant. It can be used to thicken soups, stews and sauces; coat foods for frying; or add bounce/chewiness to a dough.
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Garlic – Tỏi
• (Chicken) egg – Trứng gà
• White granulated sugar – Đường cát trắng
• Vegetable oil – Dầu thực vật
• Lettuce – Xà lách
• Cucumber – Dưa chuột/dưa leo

DIRECTIONS FOR CUA LỘT RANG TRỨNG MUỐI

1. Rinse and pat dry the soft-shell crabs.
2. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl.
3. Add the crabs into the marinade, toss to coat evenly, and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. While the crabs are marinating, prepare the salted egg yolks: Crack the salted duck eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Try to remove as much of the whites from around the yolks as you can. Tip: save the whites to use in fried rice!
5. Add the yolks to a heat-safe ceramic or glass bowl.
6. Add water to a steamer or pot with a steamer rack and bring to boil. TIP: if you don’t have a steamer or steamer rack, use a bigger bowl for the egg yolks and place the bowl into the pot (bain marie) – make sure water can’t get into the bowl.
7. Place the bowl into the steamer/pot once water is boiling and steam on medium high for about 15 minutes or until yolks are fully cooked through.
8. Mash yolks with a spoon and set aside.
9. Mince garlic and set aside.
10. Beat a large egg in a medium bowl (large enough to fit a crab).
11. Add tapioca starch to a bowl or plate.
12. Dip crabs into the egg, then roll in the tapioca starch until well-coated.
13. Heat a 1-2 cm layer of vegetable oil on medium in a large frying pan or pot.
14. Once the oil is ready (bubbling around a wooden utensil), fry crabs on medium for 5 minutes – flipping halfway through.
15. Remove crabs and set aside.
16. Heat vegetable oil on medium heat in a pan large enough to place the crabs in a single layer.
17. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
18. Add mashed egg yolk and mix with the garlic.
19. Add the crabs. Reduce heat to medium low.
20. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of water to moisten the egg yolk mixture. This will help it stick to the crabs.
21. Cook the crabs for 5 minutes- flipping them and spreading the egg yolk on each so that they are evenly coated.
22. Serve with lettuce and cucumbers, rice, or even in a sandwich!

RECIPE VIDEO

Cua lột rang trứng muối • Salted egg soft-shell crabs

Course: MainCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Medium

Makes

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

Tender and juicy soft shell crabs fried until golden and crispy, then cooked in a sauce garlicky, rich, and almost buttery salted egg yolk mixture.

Ingredients

• 4 4 soft shell crabs (about 350g)

• Marinade

• 1 tsp 1 fish sauce

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon powder

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 sugar

• For frying

• 70 g 70 tapioca flour

• 1 1 egg

• Vegetable oil

• Salted egg ‘coating’

• 3 3 salted duck eggs

• 15 g 15 garlic – minced

• 1 tbsp 1 vegetable oil

• 2 tbsp 2 water

• Bouillon powder (to taste)

• For serving

• Lettuce

• Cucumber

Directions

• Rinse and pat dry the soft-shell crabs.
• Mix together the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl.
• Add the crabs into the marinade, toss to coat evenly, and let sit for 30 minutes.
• While the crabs are marinating, prepare the salted egg yolks.
  Crack the salted duck eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Try to remove as much of the whites from around the yolks as you can.
  Tip: save the whites to use in fried rice!
• Add the yolks to a heat-safe ceramic or glass bowl.
• Add water to a steamer or pot with a steamer rack and bring to boil. TIP: if you don’t have a steamer or steamer rack, use a bigger bowl for the egg yolks and place the bowl into the pot (bain marie) – make sure water can’t get into the bowl.
• Place the bowl into the steamer/pot once water is boiling and steam on medium high for about 15 minutes or until yolks are fully cooked through.
• Mash yolks with a spoon and set aside.
• Mince garlic and set aside.
• Beat a large egg in a medium bowl (large enough to fit a crab).
• Add tapioca starch to a bowl or plate.
• Dip crabs into the egg, then roll in the tapioca starch until well-coated.
• Heat a 1-2 cm layer of vegetable oil on medium in a large frying pan or pot.
• Once the oil is ready (bubbling around a wooden utensil), fry crabs on medium for 5 minutes – flipping halfway through.
• Remove crabs and set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil on medium heat in a pan large enough to place the crabs in a single layer.
• Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
• Add mashed egg yolk and mix with the garlic.
• Add the crabs. Reduce heat to medium low.
• Add 1 to 2 tbsp of water to moisten the egg yolk mixture. This will help it stick to the crabs.
• Cook the crabs for 5 minutes- flipping them and spreading the egg yolk on each so that they are evenly coated.
• Serve with lettuce and cucumbers, rice, or even in a sandwich!

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