4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp plus 2 teaspoons nuoc mam (vietname, se fish sauce)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
8 ounces lump crab meat, picked over, and drained
1 freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot, mixed with
2 tbsp cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten
15 oz white asparagus spears *
1 tbsp shredded coriander
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Directions
* cut into 1-inch sections with canning liquid reserved
This soup was probably created by some homesick Frenchman. White
asparagus (a French import), packed in jars or cans, is used for this
recipe. Traditionally, crumbled, salted duck egg yolk is added to
season the soup.
If white asparagus is unavailable, use frozen or fresh asparagus (in
this case, add the fresh asparagus to the broth from the very
beginning and cook until tender, before adding the remaining
ingredients).
Combine the broth, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, the sugar and salt
in a 3 quart soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the shallots and garlic and
stir-fry until aromatic. Add the crab meat, the remaining 2
teaspoons fish sauce and black pepper to taste. Stirfry over high
heat for
1 minute. Set aside.
Bring the soup to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir gently
until the soup thickens and is clear. While the soup is actively
boiling, add the egg and stir gently. Continue to stir for about 1
minute. Add the crab meat mixture and asparagus with its canning
liquid; cook gently until heated through.
Transfer the soup to a heated tureen. Sprinkle on the coriander,
scallion and freshly ground black pepper.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
From "The Foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Rauthier. Stewart, Tabori &
Chang. 1989.
Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; May 24 1993.
Servings: 1 servings
Asparagus & Crab Meat Soup (Mang Tay Nau Cua) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Crab; Fish; Meat; Seafood; Soup
The History of Recipes
Written recipes as an idea can be tracked way back into the distant past, certainly as far back into history as the ancient Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. However, sadly, these ancient records were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
Interestingly, the oldest recipe in existence, according to experts is a collection of tablets in the Sumerian language describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made people feel exhilarated. Closer to modern times, there were two recipe books which date from the 1300s : a recipe book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another called `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are a little misleading though, these two books are nothing to do with the indian curry that appears on menues today, but instead recipes for the types of meals served to the rich and wealthy people of the period. In the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought us many spices and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices such as basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new tastes created a surge in recipe books, some of which are kept safe in private collections. During the succeeding few centuries, the upper classes competed to offer the most exotic banquets, and as a consequence, chefs and their collection of recipes became highly prized. Notwithstanding that, it was during the 1800s that cookery and recipe publications became popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, dedicated the best years of their lives to collating, verifying, and writing down popular recipes of the day. By the arrival of the 1900s, cookery books are in great demand, mostly due to more people being able to read, more spare time and disposable income. Like it or not, the introduction of television gave us TV cookery programs and the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everyone to search through massive numbers of recipes like those on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Asparagus & Crab Meat Soup (Mang Tay Nau Cua) recipe.
