Bun Rieu: Vietnamese Crab & Tomato Noodle Soup

There are a number of foods, both of Asian and American cuisine, that I have the guilty pleasure of calling my comfort food--a dish or meal that brings back warm memories of simpler days, happy thoughts and normal weather (can we say global warming??). One of those wonderful dishes just so happens to be my dad's favorite dish as well...considering we are of the same Chinese zodiac sign, we were bound to have at least one thing in common right?? And as you may have figured from the title of this post...the dish I'm talking about is Bun Rieu (pronounced boong rew --> like "view" with a "r").

So according to my research, there are many varieties of Bun Rieu. Of course, when you grow up eating only ONE version...you don't think that there could possibly be ANY other version except for the one your mom makes...I mean, that's the ONLY right one and the BEST, right?!?!?! Okay, so I may be a little biased but because I love food so much, I am going to be open and acknowledge that there are in fact many varieties and styles of preparing Bun Rieu. Being open to other foods and techniques is really important because you can learn so much! I know I have stolen a tip or two from other peoples recipes ;)

Anyway, back to my Bun Rieu, or Bun Rieu Cua to be exact (cua=crab in Vietnamese). Please know that the recipe below is just how I make it and is open for improvment or changes by anyone. This recipe alone has probably evolved at least three times already so don't feel bound by my recipe...feel free to explore and experiment, add or omit. Enjoy!!


Ingredients:
2 tbsp of dried prawns, roughly chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb., Pork Bones (for best results, blanche for 5 minutes in boiling water)
1 jar, Crab or shrimp Paste in soybean oil
6-8oz., Real lump crab meat (frozen or fresh)
½ lb. ground pork
4 eggs
2 Cups of tomatoes (super ripe), cut into large chunks (1 inch)
2 Green Onions (Scallions), cut into 2 inch pieces, separate the green and the whites
Fried Tofu, split in half (as much as you like)
Cha, sliced (Vietnamese Fish cake)
Pork Blood (optional)
1 tbsp Mam Ruoc (shrimp paste)
@ 1 tbsp each, Salt and Sugar (to taste)
2 tbsp, Nuoc Mam (fish sauce)
Thick Rice Vermicelli Noodles (coook according to pacakge)

Accompaniments:
Bean Sprouts
Shredded Lettuce
Mint
Fresh Chilies

Directions:
In a large stock pot on medium high heat, add oil and minced prawns. Cook for about 5 mins. Add bones to the pot with six quarts of water to make stock; boil for about 30 minutes, on medium heat, and skim soup regulary to keep the stock clear. While the soup is cooking, you can make the egg mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, crab*, eggs, crab or shrimp paste** and about ½ tsp of salt. Mix well so that everything is combined; set aside. If your pot is large enough, you can leave the bones in the soup to continue to cook; if not, you can remove after about 30 minutes. Season the soup with about 1 tbsp of salt, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of mam ruoc and 2 tablespoons of nuoc mam. Bring the soup back to a boil. It is very important that the soup is BOILING, otherwise, you will not get the little “egg dumplings”. Using a soup ladle, scoop the egg mixture, 1 ladle at a time, ON TOP OF THE BOILING STOCK (place the egg directly on top of the part of the soup that has bubbles). Continue to put the egg mixture into the soup. Be sure to wait for the soup to come back to a boil each time before adding more egg mixture. Once all the egg mixture has been added bring the soup back up to a boil, then the turn the fire down to a simmer. Add tomatoes***, tofu and scallion ends (any part that is white or light green). Gently, stir the soup and taste for flavor; add addtional salt or sugar depending on taste preferences. Once soup is well seasoned, serve with sliced cha and pork blood (optional) over cooked vermicilli noodles.

SERVES 4-6

* If you are on a tight budget or can't find fresh lump crab meat, you can use crab meat in the jar (as I did this time)

** These shrimp and crab pastes come in many different brands so pick whatever is available in your grocery store. I usually make double this recipe so I will use 2 jars, one crab and one shrimp. If you are
only making the recipe size above, I recommend using the crab paste to enhance the crab flavor.

***For extra color and convenience, I have also used a can (@14-15oz) of WHOLE TOMATOES (with juice) instead of fresh tomatoes. For optimal taste, I recommend using both fresh and canned--the fresh tomatoes add a tartness and the canned tomaotes add sweetness.

Here are examples of the crab, shrimp paste and crab pasted that I used.  Again, there are many varieties so don't get stuck on a particular brand...just get what is available at your Asian supermarket.