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A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Asian Street Food festival at my friend’s restaurant in Denver, the culmination of our trip to Vietnam or Red Boat Odyssey that I participated a few months ago.
I presented two dishes: Cold Crab Noodles and Tamarind Shrimp.
When I developed the recipe for Cold Crab Noodles and posted the pictures on my social media, many fans and readers were asking for the recipe.
So here it is, I have decided to share it here with you.
I am not sure about the rest of America, but the weather has gotten really hot here in Southern California.
It’s strange, but it seems like the real HOT summer in SoCal always starts in September when the rest of the country cools down after Labor Day.
With the scorching heat outside, I find a serving of this Cold Crab Noodle very refreshing.
The recipe below makes a big batch of the fish sauce based dressing, which you can keep in the refrigerator and use it whenever you want.
For the fish sauce, I recommend Red Boat Fish Sauce, which is the best artisanal fish sauce in the market, made purely from anchovies and salt, and no MSG.
I visited the factory so I can attest to the fact.
For the crab meat, for the best results, use crab meat picked from live crabs.
If you can’t find fresh crabs where you are, you can use frozen crab meat.
However, the end result will not be as great. If you have a seafood store where you are, you can also get crab lump meat, which is commonly used for crab cakes.
In any case, the fresher and the more crab you use, the better tasting this dish is.
Enjoy the flavors of Vietnam in this dish, enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 529 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Cold Crab Noodles
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Cold Crab Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 oz (250g) mung bean noodles, or cellophane noodles
- 1 Dungeness crab, meat picked and chilled in fridge
- 1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into thin match-stick strips
- Fried shallot crisp
Fish Sauce Dressing
- 1/2 cup Red Boat fish sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts, smashed with the back of cleaver
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, bruised, optional
- 6 oz (175g) palm sugar, crushed into small pieces, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Rooster brand garlic chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- cornstarch mixture
Mixed Herbs
- mint leaves
- rau ram, polygonum leaves
- Thai basil leaves
Garnishing
- cilantro leaf , or mint leaf
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil and cook the mung bean or cellophane noodles until al dente. Transfer the noodles to an ice water bath to cool, then drain and chill in the fridge. Combine all the herbs and slice them thinly. Chill the herbs in the fridge as well.
- Prepare the Fish Sauce Dressing by combining all the ingredients (except for the garlic chili sauce and lime juice) in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the cornstarch mixture to further thicken the dressing. Strain the dressing to remove the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Stir in the garlic chili sauce and lime juice, then chill the dressing in the fridge.
- To assemble the crab noodles, combine the noodles, crab meat, carrots, and mixed herbs in a bowl. Toss gently to combine. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and drizzle with the Fish Sauce Dressing and a squirt of lime juice. Top the crab noodles with fried shallot crisps and garnish with cilantro or mint leaves. Serve cold.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
