B.C. Dungeness Crab, Egg Noodle and Nước Mắm Butter Cream (Cua Xào Sữa)

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• • 2 whole Dungeness crabs
  • ½ cup cornstarch and all-purpose flour mix (4:1)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 4 green onion sprigs, roots finely sliced,  greens cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 tbsp ginger, sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 tbsp salted butter
  • 500 mL half-and-half cream
  • 2 tbsp Anh and Chi’s Chilli Fish Sauce (contains anchovy)
  • 500 g egg noodles
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Wash, remove gills (leaving the rest of the innards in the shell) and chop the bodies of the crabs into 1- to 1½-inch-wide pieces. Dry with a paper towel and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix a pinch of salt and pepper into the 4:1 cornstarch and flour mixture. Sprinkle mixture over crab, toss and coat evenly. 
3. In a large pot, bring vegetable oil to high heat, and add crab (a few pieces at a time) to flash fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and set aside on a rack to remove excess oil.
4. In a large wok, bring avocado oil to medium-high heat, then add onions, green onion (root ends only) and ginger to stir fry for 1 minute, then add garlic and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
5. Scrape out everything from the inside of the crab shell, and add to wok. Continue to stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to medium, slowly melt down butter, add half-and-half cream and stir gently. Add remainder of the crab and stir fry for another 4 to 6 minutes. Add Anh and Chi’s Chilli Fish Sauce, then salt and black pepper to taste. Finally, add green onion ends, stir quickly and turn to a low simmer.
7. While crab is simmering, in a medium pot, boil 2 litres of water. Add 1 tsp oil and the egg noodles, spreading the strands as you submerge the noodles so they do not stick. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until al dente. Rinse and strain in cold water.
8. Transfer egg noodles to a large serving platter, style the crab and sauce over top and enjoy!

Amelie’s Tip

Feel free to bread the crab carapace and fry with the crab meat for a decorative element when serving, as seen here. If you can’t find Anh and Chi’s Chilli Fish Sauce in your area, you can use regular fish sauce plus 2 tbsp of sugar.