Photograph of the finished Crab and Pork Meatball Soup

Vietnam · Mọc cua

Crab and Pork Meatball Soup

50 min Hands-on time + 30 min waiting
MediumDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Sea crab Sea crab 2.2 lb
  • Photograph of Vietnamese pork paste Vietnamese pork paste 1.3 lb
  • Photograph of Dried Shiitake Mushrooms Dried Shiitake Mushrooms 5.6 oz
  • Photograph of Wood ear mushrooms Wood ear mushrooms 2.8 oz
  • Photograph of Shallots Shallots 1.6
  • Photograph of Fish sauce Fish sauce ⅓ cup
  • Photograph of Pork bones Pork bones 2.2 lb
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 4.2 oz
  • Photograph of Black pepper Black pepper 0.6 oz
  • Photograph of Herbs Herbs 3.5 oz
  • Photograph of Steamed rice Steamed rice 1.8 lb

Method

  1. 1 Simmer the pork bones for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam continuously to keep the broth clear.
  2. 2 Steam the crab for 12 minutes, then remove the meat and set the roe aside.
  3. 3 Mix minced pork with crab meat, soaked and chopped shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms for 5 minutes.
  4. 4 Knead the dough long enough for the mixture to stick together; kneading too quickly will cause the dough to fall apart in the pot of water.
  5. 5 Shape the mixture into balls and drop them into the simmering broth, then cook for 8 minutes.
  6. 6 Sauté shallots with crab paste, then pour over the soup and sprinkle with chopped scallions and herbs.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 35 min

    Replace step 1: simmer pork bones under high pressure for 10 minutes, then release pressure naturally for 5 minutes; this reduces the simmering time to about 15 minutes compared to the usual 30 minutes. The broth becomes sweeter faster and you don't have to constantly skim off the foam, but the broth may be darker and less clear. The steps of steaming the crab, mashing the meatballs, and cooking the meatballs remain the same to prevent them from falling apart due to pressure.

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