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
It is quite possible to follow the history of written cooking instructions far back into the far past, in fact as far back as ancient Egypt, and possibly even further. However, sadly, these early records were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
The truth of the matter is, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to food historians are some ancient tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the making 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 and blissful. Moving on, we find some interesting books which date from the 1300s ; a cookery book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. Surprisingly, these two books are unconnected to the indian food that we all know today, but rather accounts of the types of meals prepared for the wealthy. During the following few centuries, the powerful and rich strove to offer the most exotic meals, and as a consequence, chefs and their recipe collections were at a premium. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century that fine cookery and cookery books rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to collating, testing, and publishing recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. By the advent of the 1900s, cookbooks are greatly in demand mostly due to more people being able to read, more spare time and having more money to spend. The revolution that is television gave us TV chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. And that pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to access thousands of recipes like the ones you can find on this recipe site. |
We hope you enjoy this Asparagus & Crab Meat Soup (Mang Tay Nau Cua) recipe.
