Poo ob woon sen / steamed crab with mung bean noodles

A flavorful crab dish with the pungent punch of whiskey. Great with steamed rice or drinks!

1/2 of regular recipe:
309 calories per serving; 14.1 g protein; 13.9 g fat; 26.6 g carbohydrate; 25.4 g net carbs; 792 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 1.2 g fiber

1/2 of reduced-sodium version:
 278 calories per serving; 14.0 g protein; 10.9 g fat; 26.7 g carbohydrate; 25.5 g net carbs; 558 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 1.2 g fiber


<Ingredients>

1/4-1/3 crab (Dungeness crab) in shell

For paste to marinate crab
     1 knob ginger
     1 clove garlic
     1-2 tsp black peppercorns
     3-5 coriander stems
     15-20 hua jiao Sichuan pepper


50 g (1 small bundle) mung bean vermicelli
For seasoning to mix with mung bean vermicelli
     2 tsp oyster sauce
     1/2 tsp brown sugar
     1 tsp soy sauce
     2/3 tsp nam pla fish sauce
     1/2 tbsp whiskey or brandy
     1/2 tsp sesame oil

2-3 tbsp coconut oil

3 green onions
100 cc chicken stock

Small handful coriander leaves (garnish)

***See notes for ingredients of the reduced-sodium version.***


<Directions>
1.

Soak mung bean vermicelli in cold water for 10-20 minutes.
Drain, and cut into 10 cm.

2.

Cut green onion into 3-4 cm.

3.

In a mortar, put coriander stems, garlic, ginger, and black peppercorns, crush with pestle, and make paste.

4.

Divide crab into several sections, remove some parts of shell of each section. Coat crab with coriander stem paste, and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

5.

In a bowl with mung bean vermicelli, add oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, nam pla, whiskey, sesame oil and hua jiao, and mix well.

6.

In a pot lined with parchment paper, scatter coconut oil, and place green onion on top.

Place 1/3-1/2 of crab, seasoned mung bean vermicelli, and remaining crab in layer, and pour 1/2 of chicken stock.

7.

Cover, and cook on medium heat for a few minutes.
Add the remaining chicken stock, and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

8.

Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and serve.

<Notes>

• Use cold water to rehydrate mung bean vermicelli. Rehydrated vermicelli should still be firm to prevent it from getting too soft at the end.
• Originally, coriander root is used instead of stems.
• Coconut oil is a substitute for fatty pork slices.
• One whole Dungeness crab yields 220-240 g of crabmeat. The above sodium content figures are based on 55g crabmeat per serving.
• Sodium content of nam pla fish sauce varies significantly (around 700-1,800 mg/tbsp) by brand. The figures above are based on nam pla (690mg sodium/1 tbsp) from Thailand.
• I use homemade chicken stock. Store-bought chicken stock is generally high in sodium.
• Ingredients for the reduced-sodium version: Use more garlic, ginger and coriander for marinade; use less coconut oil; skip soy sauce and reduce nam pla; add kurozu brown rice vinegar and Shaoxing wine -- this results in a mild dish. If something closer to the original recipe is desired, add 1/2 tsp soy sauce, and see if you want to reduce it next time.
  
  • 1/4 crab (Dungeness crab) in shell
  • For paste to marinade crab
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • 1 knob ginger (same volume as garlic)
  • 1-2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 15-20 coriander stems
  •  
  • 50 g (1 small bundle) mung bean vermicelli
  • For seasoning to mix with mung bean vermicelli
  • 15-20 hua jiao Sichuan pepper
  • 2 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp nam pla fish sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp kurozu brown rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp whiskey
  • 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  •  
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 green onions
  • 100 cc chicken stock
  • Small handful coriander leaves (garnish)

• To maximize flavor and aroma, make sure to cook until the bottom is almost burned (as shown in photo at right), especially when following the reduced-sodium recipe.
  
  
  (Last updated: September 12, 2014)