crab and asparagus soup |
Maine crabs are not as well known as the lobsters. However, it is a secret in our family (maybe not such a secret anymore since I started this blog!). These crabs contain lots of sweet juicy meat. My mother would agreed with me that Maine crabs have more meat and are tastier than the Maryland crabs. The best way to eat crabs is when they are just pulled from the ocean within 24 hours!
Many years ago when I lived in Minnesota working as a Registered Nurse for the Mayo Clinic I was too poor to go out to eat. There were also no Asian restaurants at the time. This was the time I started cooking and experimenting with food more. At the time my good friend, Thảo who was doing her fellowship in gastroenterology was too busy to eat or cook. Every so often we both would get together, cook and eat. I remember we made this dish once and that was the first time I had this soup.
Crab and Asparagus Soup (serves 6 as part of a shared meal)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
2 lbs asparagus, peeled the base and trimmed the tough parts, cut each stalk into 1-inch pieces
32 oz low sodium, low fat chicken stock (or make your own)
32 oz water
1 duck egg (whisked lightly)
14 oz crab meat (preferably not from a can)
1 Tbsp fish sauce (or to your taste)
2 Tbsps cornstarch mix with 2 Tbsps cold water (thickening agent)
1/3 C chopped scallions
1/4 C chopped cilantro
Method:
1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
2) Once the pot is hot, add onion. Saute about 2 minutes until soft.
3) Add asparagus and saute about 5 minutes.
4) Add stock and water. Once the liquid starts to boil, turn heat down to low and cover the pot for about 15 minutes.
5) Uncover the pot, turn heat back to medium high, once the liquid is hot again, stir the pot in a steady circle and slowly pour the egg in. This will cause the egg to be more stringy instead of lumpy.
6) Add the crab meat last and gently stir the soup so the crab meat will not break.
7) Turn off heat, add fish sauce, thickening agent, scallions and cilantro. Stir a few times to mix everything well.
*If you are serving this dish at another meal or the next day you can garnish a little sliced cilantro and/or scallions on top of the soup to brighten the dish a little.
*If you are interested in a thicker soup then use more cornstarch/water mixture.
with shrimp balls |
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