bun rieu cua is cool
By: Shayla Nguyen
When I asked my mom for a dish that reminds her of a time someone helped her, she immediately said “Help?!” My mom is a very independent woman and usually, she expresses that no one has helped her before and that she had to do everything herself. However, she did want to mention a story tied to this dish. A few days ago was my great grandma’s death anniversary and I could tell my mom missed her. She often reminisces on her days back in the home country, Vietnam. Back in Vietnam, my mom’s family grew up in a poor neighborhood. Her house was made out of wood, mud, and bricks in which her family had to build themselves. My mom was raised by her mom and grandmother. They were always strict about food because most of what they had or grew was meant to be sold for money. Unfortunately, my mom wasn’t able to eat the sweet fruit on the trees they grew or fish they caught, so she had to search for root vegetables to fill her stomach. Once in a while when her grandmother had time, she would bring home crabs to make a delicious noodle soup dish called Bún Riêu Cua. It consists of crab meat, tofu, pork blood, water spinach, tomatoes. If they had the money, it would be eaten with noodles but if not, it would be eaten as a soup with yuca (a root vegetable). I can see that my mom cherishes this dish because she continues to make it for me and my sisters. Even when she became vegetarian, my mom even learned how to make it without any meat so she could still I enjoy it to her wishes. My mom actually grows a lot of vegetables and herbs in her garden that she uses when she cooks. I believe because of my mom’s childhood back in Vietnam and being unable to eat as much as she wanted, it inspired her to share her produce with friends, family and more. It truly brings her joy being in the garden, especially when she can use her goods to make a “very delicious” dish like Bún Riêu Cua at home and for her family. I will continue to appreciate and recognize the love, work, and stories behind her home cooked meals.
Bun Rieu Cua
Ingredients:
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Broth Ingredients
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6 quarts Water
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1.5 pounds Pork Neck Bones
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1 tablespoon Tamarind Powder
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3 tablespoons Seasoned Crab Paste
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2 tablespoons Salt
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3 tablespoons Sugar
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4 large Tomatoes
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2 packets Rice Noodles
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Meatball Ingredients
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1 pound Lump Crab Meat
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.5 pounds Ground Pork
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5 Large Eggs
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2 Shallots
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1 Shite Onion
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1 bunch Green Onions
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1.5 teaspoons Sugar
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3 tablespoons Seasoned Crab Paste
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1 teaspoon Shrimp Paste
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1 teaspoon Salt
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.5 cups Water
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1 bunch Cilantro (optional)
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3 large Limes (optional)
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Chili Sate (optional)
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Bean Sprouts (optional)
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Fried Tofu (optional)
Directions:
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Step 1. Add water to fill a 5 quarts pot and boil. When the water is boiling add the noodles in and cook until they are al dente. Strain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Set it aside.
Step 2. Take a large stockpot and put the pork bones in it. Fill with water and boil for a few minutes and discard the water. Add fresh water to the pork bones again and boil for an hour or longer. (The longer you boil the better the broth will be.)
Step 3. Peel the shrimp. Reserve the shrimp in a bowl and put the head and shrimp shells into the pork broth. Boil until the broth turns red from the shrimp shells (about 20 minutes). Remove the shells and pork bones from the broth.
Step 4. Add the tamarind powder, shrimp paste, seasoned crab paste, sugar, and salt then into the broth and let it boil.
Step 5. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add them to the broth last.
Step 6. Meatball Ingredients
Step 7. In a food processor add the peeled shrimp, eggs, seasoned crab paste, shrimp paste, water, sugar, shallots, green onions, and the white onion and pulse into a paste.
Step 8. Gently fold the crab meat with the shrimp paste until uniform.
Step 9. Boil the broth from above. When it is boiling take the meatball mixture and make free-formed meatballs with a spoon putting them into the broth. (Add the fried tofu at this point. The meatballs are done cooking when they start floating to the top.)
Toppings: Chop up the remaining green onions from the bunch and bunch of cilantro - slice the remaining white onion thinly - quarter the limes
Assemble: Put noodles in a bowl, add any of the toppings/garnishes. Ladle in the soup with tomatoes and meatballs. Squeeze some lime and add some sate.