The best way to cook Hai Phong-style crab noodle soup (Banh Da Cua).

How to Make Crab Vermicelli

• 1. Prepare the Crab and Pork Ribs

  Rinse the pork ribs and boil in water for 2-3 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse again with clean water.
  Place the ribs in a pot, cover with water, and simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes. You can add a few roasted shallots (charred, peeled) for extra flavor.

  Use your hands to squeeze out excess water from the crab meat. Repeat this process 1-2 more times to thoroughly extract the crab meat. Reserve the crab broth in a separate pot.

  Combine the ground crab meat with half a large bowl of water. Gently stir and squeeze the crab meat to distribute it evenly in the water. Place a sieve over a pot and carefully pour the crab mixture into it; the shells will be retained.

  Use your hands to squeeze out excess water from the crab meat. Repeat this process 1-2 more times to thoroughly extract the crab meat. Reserve the crab broth in a separate pot.

  

  

• 2. Prepare Other Ingredients

  Rinse the fatty pork, pat dry, and dice into small pieces.

  Soak the dried shrimp in warm water until softened. Rinse with clean water.

  Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water for 10-15 minutes until softened. Rinse, remove the stems, and slice thinly.

  Wash the wild betel leaves. Set aside large leaves for wrapping; chop smaller or torn leaves to mix with the meat.

  Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Wash and chop the green onions and cilantro. Wash and clean the water spinach and other greens. Soak the greens in salted water for 15-20 minutes, then drain.

  If using dried vermicelli noodles, soak in water for about 5 minutes until softened, then drain. Fresh vermicelli noodles only need a quick rinse.

  

  

  

  

• 3. Make the Crab Broth

  Pour the crab broth into a pot, skimming off any sediment. Add a pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat. Stir gently to prevent the crab meat from sticking to the bottom. When the broth starts to become slightly cloudy with the rising crab meat, stop stirring to allow the crab to form.

  Once the crab meat has formed and floats to the surface, carefully scoop it out into a separate bowl. Reserve the broth.

  

• 4. Make the Wild Betel Leaf Rolls

  Combine the ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, chopped wild betel leaves, pepper, ½ teaspoon of MSG, and 5 grams of chopped shallots. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

  Lay a wild betel leaf flat (shiny side down). Place a spoonful of the meat mixture onto the leaf, roll it up tightly, and secure with a toothpick.

  Heat oil in a pan. Roll the rolls in the pan until the betel leaves are slightly seared and adhere to the meat. Fry over medium heat until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

  

• 5. Boil the Water Spinach

  Boil a large bowl of water in a pot. Add the water spinach and a pinch of salt to prevent discoloration. Boil for 3-5 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water for 5-7 minutes to maintain crispness.

  

• 6. Cook the Fatty Pork and Fish Cake

  Heat a pan and pan-fry the fatty pork over medium heat (do not cover). Once the pork is crispy and browned, remove and set aside. Add the remaining shallots to the pan and fry until lightly golden brown. Remove the shallots; they will continue to crisp in the hot oil.

  Remove most of the oil, leaving about 15 ml in the pan. Add the reserved crab roe and stir-fry. Add the crispy pork and fried shallots and stir-fry together.

  Once the roe is cooked, remove and set aside; this will add color and aroma to the vermicelli.

  Using the same pan, add 15 ml of oil. Once hot, add the tomatoes and stir-fry until softened but still holds its shape. Add 10 ml of fish sauce, stir well, and remove the tomatoes.

  Heat a little oil in a pan. Fry the fish cake over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove, cut into bite-sized pieces about 1 cm thick.

  

  

  

  

• 7. Prepare the Broth

  Remove the pork ribs from the pot (you can serve them with the vermicelli). Add the crab broth to the pork broth. Bring to a boil, add the soaked shrimp and cook until tender. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with 2 teaspoons of MSG.

  Parboil the vermicelli noodles in a separate pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes (do not cook in the broth, as this will cloud it). Remove the noodles and divide evenly among serving bowls. Arrange the wild betel leaf rolls, fish cake, water spinach, shrimp, stir-fried crab roe, fried shallots, and green onions on top.

  For broth-style vermicelli: Ladle the broth over the vermicelli. Serve hot with fresh herbs.

  For mixed vermicelli:

  Whisk together 30 ml fish sauce, 30 ml soy sauce, 30 grams sugar, 50 ml water, and the juice of half a lime (about 25 ml) to make the dressing.

  Drizzle 2-3 teaspoons of dressing over the vermicelli and toss to combine. Add chili paste for extra spice, if desired. Serve with a small bowl of broth.

  

• 8. Finished Dish

  The vermicelli should be tender yet firm. The broth should be rich with crab flavor, fragrant with crab roe and herbs, and complemented by the aroma of the wild betel leaf rolls and other toppings.