Butternut Squash and Green Crab Soup

butternut squash and green crab soup

It has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog. I am still working full-time as a family nurse practitioner at the clinic seeing patients. Despite the long hours I managed to stay healthy perhaps due to eating a copious amount of green crabs! 😃

Recently Dr. Becca Selden, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College in Massachusetts invited me for a green crab cooking demo. I made 2 simple soups for the students and faculty to try. I was pleased and impressed to see so many students excited about eating green crabs! One of the soups was a butternut squash and green crab soup. I made it using coconut milk instead of dairy in case anyone was lactose intolerant. Luckily no one there had any food allergy or issues which made me very happy.

Butternut Squash and Green Crab Soup

Ingredients:

 

1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs)

Olive oil 

1 head of garlic

1 small white or yellow onion

3 1/2 to 4 C Basic Green Crab Stock (see recipe below)

1 C coconut milk

About 1/2 tsp salt to taste

About 1/2 tsp white or black pepper to taste

Coconut Drizzle (see recipe below) 

Method:

Peel and cut the butternut squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Slice the squash about 1/2 inch thick. Line in a single layer on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Wrap the whole garlic in foil (may drizzle with oil if interested). Roast the squash and garlic in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F until the squash is fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. May broil for the last 5-10 minutes if interested. Peel and dice the onion. Saute the onion in a little olive oil until translucent and soft. Puree the roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, sauteed onion, broth and coconut milk. Heat the pureed mixture until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well to blend and serve hot with some coconut drizzle (see recipe below).

 

Coconut Drizzle

Ingredients:

 

Approximately 1 Tbsp of cornstarch 

Approximately 1 Tbsp water 

1/2 C coconut milk

Pinch of salt

Method: 

Mix the cornstarch and water until well blended. Cook this with coconut milk and salt. Whisk to blend. Drizzle over the butternut squash and green crab soup to garnish.

I have posted a few green crab stocks with ingredients besides green crabs and water. This particular basic stock is made with just 2 ingredients, green crabs and water. When I make my stock I avoid adding salt unless I plan on using it immediately. You can make any stock as concentrated as you prefer. If you make a concentrated stock then you will need less water, which to me means less storage space in the refrigerator or freezer. In general my green crabs to water ratio is about 15 crabs for 2-6 cups of water. These green crabs vary in size so my water will depend on this and how concentrate I prefer. Don't be afraid to experiment. Most of the time I clean the crabs, crush them and add water. I don't focus on any particular crab to water ratio and I hope you don't either. You may check out these posts: How to Process Green Crabs Humanely, How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock, Simple Green Crab Stock, and Green Crab Stock For Chowders.

Basic Green Crab Stock 

Ingredients:

Crabs

Water

Method:  

Remove the carapace, gills, apron and mouth from each crab. Wash well in cold to remove all the mud and sand. Crush the crabs, put them in a large pot and add water. Boil gently and stir occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. Strain right away or let it cool and strain. Before using may add more water if the stock is too concentrated for your taste. May compost the shells.

Seafood and Kimchi Soup

My mother made this soup while she stayed with me during my recovery. She placed the partially thawed prepared green crabs in a few clean plastic bags and crushed them against a cement block using a rock from my garden. She agrees that this method works much better as opposed to crushing them with a blender.

my mother hand crushing the crabs

This soup is made with kimchi that I fermented months ago. They are more sour than the freshly made kind. You may purchase kimchi at your local markets. The mixed seafood package is from my local grocery market and found in the frozen section. Once opened you can rinse them in a strainer and add to the soup. If the mixed seafood has been previously cooked then it does not take long to reheat them. I find that this soup tastes even better the next 1-2 days!

seafood and kimchi soup

Seafood and Kimchi Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb prepared hard shell green crabs (about 20 adult crabs)
7 cups cold water
1 lb seafood mix, rinsed in cold water, strained
About 1 1/2 to 2 cups kimchi (home-made or store bought), cut into bite size
1 container of soft tofu (about 12 oz), cut into bite size
1 scallion, green parts only, chopped or cut into 1/2 or 1 inch lengths
2 Tbsp fish sauce (nước mắm)
1 Tbsp chicken stock powder

Method:

Place the crabs into 2-3 layers of freezer or plastic bags. Pound the crabs until they are crushed. Add a little cold water (about 1/3 of the water), use a spoon to stir the mixture and use a fine strainer to strain the liquid and the fine crab bits into a pot. Repeat 2 more times until all the water has been used up. Please see links below for tutorial assist.

Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Do not stir. Do not cover the pot. Once the liquid starts to boil the crab bits will float up to the surface in pieces. Let the liquid boils gently for a few minutes (up to about 5 minutes) or until all the pieces are done floating up. Avoid allowing the liquid to boil over. Rinse the seafood mix and add to the pot. Add kimchi, and tofu and stir the pot once. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until everything is heated through. Add scallions and season with fish sauce and chicken stock powder.

Helpful Hints:

*Please see Vietnamese-Style Crab Stock for a tutorial on how to make the stock for this recipe.
*Please see How to Prepare Green Crab for Making Stock for a tutorial on how to prepare the crabs.
*The 7 cups of water will yield about 6 cups of crab liquid.
*If you are to use a blender to crush the crabs then use only the soft crab bodies. Discard the hard carapace, apron, legs, and claws.

Open-Face Dumplings (Siu Mai)

This special open-face dumplings or síu mại dish is made in loving memory of my dear late grandmother who passed away at age 98 on January 31, 2018. She was an amazing woman, petite but very energetic and strong mentally and physically--still working after age 97! A few days before I left Vietnam I was weighing my luggage for the plane. She was interested in knowing her weight and as quickly as she said it she was sitting on the scale with both feet up, and asking me to read the number! 

My mother and I last made these dumplings for my grandmother on one of our visits to Vietnam--it would be the last time that I saw her in person. The pre-made dumpling dough or dumpling skin was not available for purchase so we made our skin from scratch. We also did not have a pasta maker so we rolled the skin using a rolling pin. A pasta maker can make the thin skin quickly and without much effort. Nowadays if you live in the US you can easily purchase the skin at your local market. 

my 97 year old grandmother
with the síu mại ready to be cooked
(January 2017, Vietnam)

my grandmother--weighed 27.5 kilograms!
(Vietnam, 2015)

For this particular recipe I add a few extra ingredients which were not available when we made these for my grandmother--wild harvested local scallops, green crab roe and the porcini mushroom powder. The roe is delicious but also makes these dumplings look attractive. If you prefer less roe then use 1 ounce and about 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce. I want to thank Jamie Bassett, owner of Green Crab Nation (volume supplier of green crab) for the green crab roe. You may omit the porcini mushroom powder if it is not available or use another type of dried mushroom such as shiitake.

Recently my husband and I took a short trip to Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire for an impressive view of the works of an American sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. In Claremont we stopped for a quick bite and I purchased the porcini mushroom powder along with a few other small spice bags from Claremont Spice & Dry Goods. Owners David and Ingrid Lucier run this store and they are unique in selling small quantity, high quality spices at a very reasonable price. David tells us that his entire spice inventory has a shelf life of 3 months. Sorry, no mail order! 

place approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the skin,
press the side of the top part of the skin inward to make pleats
(photo courtesy of my husband, Paul Huibers)

gently drop the dumpling on the working surface a few times
to let the dumpling sit with a sturdy base
(photo courtesy of my husband, Paul Huibers)

garnish the dumpling with the toppings
(photo courtesy of my husband, Paul Huibers)

cooked open-face dumplings (síu mại)

Open-Face Dumplings (Síu Mại)--makes about 22 dumplings

Ingredients:

1 Wonton and Síu Mại Dumpling Skins (see recipe below)
1 Síu Mại Filling (see recipe below)
1 Seasoned Cooked Green Crab Caviar (see recipe below)

Method:

Fill the middle of a skin with approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling. Press the side of the top part of the skin inward to make pleats. Gently drop the dumpling on your working surface a few times to let the dumpling sits with a sturdy base. Repeat until all of your dumplings are done. Garnish with the toppings. Steam 8-10 minutes preferably in a bamboo steamer. Be sure to line the bottom of your steamer with either parchment paper, banana leaf, or napa cabbage leaves. I cut a piece of parchment paper and made small holes to allow the steam to flow through during cooking.

May dip these dumplings in soy sauce with or without additional chili pepper, hot mustard, chili oil or your own special dipping. I prefer Maggi brand Seasoning (sauce) made in Germany for the flavor and Chiu Chow Chili Oil. These may be purchase at an Asian market.

mixed síu mại filling--ready to mince or puree

pureed síu mại filling--ready to be used

Síu Mại Filling (makes about 13 oz)

Ingredients:

4 oz ground pork
4 oz shrimp, roughly chopped
4 oz sea scallop, roughly diced
2 Tbsp shallot, minced
1/2 tsp grated garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp chopped cilantro
2 tsp chopped scallion
1/2 tsp porcini mushroom powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 roasted white peppercorns, crushed into powder (about 1/8 tsp ground or crushed)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 large egg white, whisked
1 tsp cornstarch

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients well. Use a food processor to puree a few times to blend everything together. If you do not have a food process you can use a large knife or cleaver to hand chop everything to blend. Cover and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

dumpling dough

 start cutting to size

I try to prevent waste!

twenty eight 3-inch round skins

Wonton and Síu Mại Dumpling Skin (8 oz skin, makes about twenty-four to twenty-eight 3-inch round skins)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 large egg
2 1/2 to 3 Tbsp hot water
Cornstarch (to prevent the skin from sticking to each other)

Method:

Whisk or sift all-purpose flour, salt and turmeric powder. Add egg and incorporate it into the flour. Slowly add a tablespoon of water at a time to bind everything together. The dough should not be too sticky or too dry. Knead for about 5 minutes, wrap it in plastic or cover with a damp towel and let it rest for about an hour. May keep sealed up in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to use let it rest at room temperature and knead for about 5 minutes.

Hand Roll:
Divide the dough into 4 (each piece should be about 2 ounces). Roll each piece into a log. Cut each log into 6-7 pieces. Flatten a piece with your palm and roll the edges using a rolling pin. Use a drinking glass or a round dough cutter to cut out the skin. Dust each side of the skin with cornstarch to prevent them from sticking to each other. Keep the skin cover. If the dough gets too dry add a little egg yolk or water to moisten it.

Pasta Maker:
Pass the dough through the pasta maker at the largest setting 2 times, change to a medium setting and pass it 2 times, change to the thinnest setting that you like and pass it 2 times. Cut and dust with cornstarch to prevent the skin from sticking to one another. Keep the skin cover.

cooked green crab caviar

seasoned cooked green crab caviar

Seasoned Cooked Green Crab Caviar (toppings)

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil (or any types you prefer)
1/2 tsp shallot, minced
1/4 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp grated garlic
2 oz cooked green crab roe
1/2 tsp fish sauce (nước mắm)

Method:

Saute shallot, ginger, garlic in hot oil for about 30 seconds. Avoid burning the garlic. Add crab roe and saute about 30 seconds. Season with fish sauce, stir and turn off heat.

Seafood Stew

This Seafood Stew is inspired by the fisherman's stew known as cioppino. Every time I cook anything I try to improve on it, this time it is no different. I have made this type of stew a number of times over the years. Each time I tweak it by adding something different whether it is in the broth, the variety of seafood or both. The contents of this stew mainly depend on what is available in my kitchen, what is fresh at my local market's seafood counter and what my local fishermen are pulling up. This time I am adding my Simple Green Crab Stock and a few local catches--lobsters, Jonah crabs, squid and scallops. The stock was previously frozen so I refrigerated overnight to thaw. I use Jonah crab meat that my mother hand-picked and I kept frozen. If you are not as fortunate as I am then you may pick your own crab meat, purchase a container from your grocery or omit it altogether. I think the crab meat adds extra sweetness to the stew.

For this recipe I saute the sausages and seafood with oil, garlic, shallots, chili flakes and thyme and return them to the stew at the end, as my mother had suggested for more flavors and aroma. I saute the items that will take the longest to cook first. If you prefer not to use wine then use 1 1/2 cups of stock. If you drink white wine and not red then use that. Generally I avoid undrinkable wine or cooking wine. It is unnecessary to peel and deseed the tomatoes, the peel is a good source for fibers in your diet. If you prefer more heat add more chili peppers. I find that the lobster body (head) has a fair amount of meat and sometimes tasty roe so don't discard it without picking through it. When we were younger my parents purchased these because they were more affordable. They would eat the bodies and let us kids eat the meaty tails. 

This stew serves about 2-3 people but do add more seafood to serve more people. My little brother, his wife and 2 kids stopped in for a short visit and by adding an additional lobster meat and 2 more sausages I was able to feed his entire family with steamed rice. His children both younger than 10 are some of my worst food critics ever! His daughter rates this stew a surprising 10 with 10 being the best and 0 as the worst. His son gives it an 8. Both of them had seconds which speaks volumes! My brother comments, "the seafood is very tender", which is a good reason not to overcook the seafood.

seafood stew

Seafood Stew

Ingredients:

5 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeds removed, diced
About 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 cup Simple Green Crab Stock
2-3 Tbsp oil
5 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1 large shallot, minced
1-2 tsp dried chili flakes
About 6 fresh sprigs of thyme
2 sausages (use your favorite type), cut into bite size
About 10 oz swordfish (use any type of firm fish), skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubed, washed, dabbed with paper towel to dry
1 cooked lobster (about 1 1/2 lbs) meat, cut into bite size
8 shrimp, shells removed, tails intact, deveined, washed, dabbed with paper towel to dry
8 sea scallops, tough catch muscles on the side removed, washed, dabbed with paper towel to dry
About 8 oz squid (use bodies and tentacles--cut bodies either into rings and/or scored and cut into bite size)
About 4 oz of crab meat, shells and cartilage picked out and discarded
1/2 cup red wine (use any good drinking wine)
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp fish sauce (nước mắm)
A large pinch of sugar

Method:

Peel the tomatoes by making a little cross with a sharp knife on the non-stem sides and drop them in boiling water for about 20 seconds. Remove from the water when you see a small split on the side and peel off the skin, discard the skin. Cut in half, core and remove the seeds, discard the core and seeds. Dice all of the tomatoes. In a blender puree half of them with the parsley and a little broth, set aside.

Gently boil the lobster in a little water for about 8-10 minutes, covered. Watch the stove so it will not boil over. Turn off heat after the lobster is just cooked. Once the lobster is cooled to handle remove the head (or lobster body) from the tail and reserve any liquid to put in the stew. Remove and discard the intestines and cut the meat into bite size and split the body in half and reserve for garnish if interested.

In a large pan or pot saute garlic, shallot, chilies, and thyme until the onion is soft. Add sausages and swordfish, saute about 2 minutes. Add shrimp, scallops, and squid and saute about a minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pour the pureed contents, remaining broth, wine and the rest of diced tomatoes into the pan or pot. Let is gently simmer for about 15 minutes until the wine has cooked off and the broth has reduced a little. Add the fried sausages, swordfish to the pan or pot. Cook until the seafood and sausages are cooked through. For the last 5 minutes add the rest of the seafood, season with fish sauce and sugar.

Serve hot with fresh ground pepper and crusty bread if interested.

Crabby Pizza

crabby pizza

I have about 30 tiny crabs ranging in less than an inch across the carapace and I have a husband who loves to eat pizza. I fried these live crabs without any seasoning for about 10 seconds and scooped them out with a tiny strainer. You can blanch them in hot water as well but I had the fryer out when I was frying up the soft-shell crabs. I would hate to try to chase after them as they are crawling away from my pizza!

I texted 2 Family Nurse Practitioner colleagues my crabby pizza photo. Sue responded, "It looks yucky". Kelly responded, "Hahah yummy !!" Although, I can hear her screaming with sarcasm all over her text. I also received a strong "yes" from my gastroenterologist friend Thao asking if she would eat this. I will withhold their last names to protect their privacy! 😁

My husband ate the pizza but tells me that after eating crabs for 2 days straight he would like to eat cheerios the next day! 

deep fried green crabs for about 10 seconds

sea asparagus or salicornia

this pizza (on pizza peel) is all ready to go into the hot oven

freshly baked crabby pizza on a pizza stone

crabby pizza

Crabby Pizza 

Ingredients:

1 Basic Pizza Dough recipe, home-made or store-bought (see recipe below or use your own recipe)
About 30 live crabs (less than 1-inch), fried or blanched for about 10 seconds
1 medium sized tomato, thinly sliced, dabbed with paper towel to remove excess liquid
About 10-12 sprigs of sea asparagus, washed and blanched for about 20 seconds in the microwave
Thinly slices of cheese (your choice)
Thinly slices of red onion

Method:

Make the dough (see recipe below). Fry the live crabs in oil for about 10 seconds. Scoop them out onto paper towels to remove excess oil. Preheat the oven to the highest possible temperature (around 500-550 F if possible) with a pizza stone (if you have one). Dust the surface of your working area (use a pizza peel if you have one) with plenty of flour before placing the dough down. Flatten the dough out as thinly as you can or prefer. Dab the tomato slices on a clean paper towel to remove excess liquid before scattering them on the pizza. This will help prevent the pizza from getting too soggy. Layer the cheese slices down and then arrange the crabs next. Arrange the crabs however you prefer. I arrange the smallest ones at the center and increase to larger ones to the peripheral. Next scatter with red onion slices and sea asparagus. Carefully slide the pizza onto the pre-heated pizza stone in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the pizza crust is golden. For the last minute add a few more slices of cheese and turn off heat. Remove the pizza and enjoy.

*This pizza may serve as a meal for 1 person or appetizers for 2.

resting pizza dough for about 30 minutes

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup "00" flour, plus extra for kneading
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

In a measuring glass add warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Sift flour and salt and add the liquid, knead for about 5 minutes. Wrap loosely in plastic or cover and rest for about 30 minutes. Before using knead again for 2-3 minutes.

*Adjust the water if needed depending on the humidity level in your environment.

Steamed Green Crab Egg Custard

When you hear "egg custard" you may think of a dessert such as crème brûlée...at least that is how my husband, someone with a sweet tooth thinks! He got excited for a mere second until he realized that I am making a crab broth for this custard.

Japanese savory steamed egg custard, known as chawanmushi in Japanese is generally made with dashi (stock) using dried bonito flakes (fish flakes) and kombu (seaweed). People add a variety of ingredients inside this custard such as mushrooms, shrimp, chicken, fish cakes, carrots, beans, and ginkgo. In this recipe instead of the traditional dashi I use green crab broth, a piece of slightly smashed ginger and kelp that I harvested from the New Hampshire coast. You may check my previous posts for further details on how I make my stock or broth, How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock and Simple Green Crab Stock. The crabs came from an afternoon of hunting specifically for green crabs and surveying them. I must thank a group of concerned citizen scientists and the 3 University of New Hampshire representatives for the crabs that I am using in this recipe.

steamed green crab egg custard

Steamed Green Crab Egg Custard

Ingredients:

1 cup of green crab stock, see How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock, Simple Green Crab Stock links
2 large chicken eggs
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce (I prefer the 3 green crabs brand, seriously!)
About 1/3 cup fresh green crab roe (and crab mustard if interested)
4 cut carrot flowers, about 1/4 inch thick, cooked until soft, garnish
4 fresh cilantro leaves, garnish
4 ramekins

Method:

Make the crab stock or broth. In the meantime whisk chicken eggs in a bowl and strain it using a fine wire strainer into another bowl. Try to strain all the egg and scrape the bottom of the wire strainer to remove as much of the egg as possible. I tap the side of the strainer with my palm and this helps strain the whisked eggs. Once the broth is done strain the liquid in a fine strainer and discard the contents. If using previous frozen broth, heat it up before using. Season the stock with fish sauce.

Temper the hot broth and egg by scooping a ladle of the broth and while whisking the strained eggs slowly add the broth. Continue to add the hot broth slowly while whisking the eggs. The goal is to gradually raise the temperature of the whisked eggs without scrambling (cooking) them. 

Use a slotted spoon and divide the green crab roe/crab mustard in each ramekin. Pour the tempered egg and broth mixture into the ramekins. Cover the ramekins tightly with plastic wraps and place in a steamer. Be sure to have enough water for your steamer during cooking. Steam over high heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, partially uncover the plastic wraps carefully (it is very hot so avoid burning yourself) and place a piece of cooked cut carrot flower and cilantro leaf on top (I slide these in using chopsticks). Cover the cups up with the same plastic wraps and continue to cook for about another 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Helpful Hints:

*You may remove some of the liquid from the roe and mustard with a spoon or rinse them in cold water and strain. If you rinse and strain them the flavor may diminish slightly.

whisk eggs in a bowl

strain the whisked eggs in a fine wire strainer into another bowl

strain all the whisked eggs

ramekins in a bamboo steamer

divide the crab roe in the ramekins

pour the broth and egg mixture

wrap the ramekins with plastic tightly

bamboo steamer in a wok style pot
with water below the bamboo steamer for steaming

cover the wok style pot

steamed green crab egg custard

cooked custard and roe

my mother-in-law gave me these pretty cups with lids
which are typically used for the chawanmushi
(I did not use these tea cups because
I was unsure how they would tolerate the heat)

crab roe and crab mustard--rinsed and strained

Simple Green Crab Stock

This is a very simple and basic crab stock or broth that is quick and easy to make. Please check out the link, How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock. For strong flavors such as crabs I prefer to add a little ginger. You can peel the ginger but it is not necessary. As a general rule of thumb I do not season any of my seafood broth. When I use the broth later during cooking, then I will season it. If you do not use all of the broth then you can pour it into a container, seal tightly and keep it in the freezer. This is good for up to 1-2 months.

Simple Green Crab Stock (makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

15 prepared green crabs, ranging from 1 1/2 to 2 inches (see How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock)
2 1/2 cups water
3 slices of ginger, about 1/4 inch thick, washed, lightly smashed
1 piece of dried or fresh kelp

Method:

Prepare the green crabs. See How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock link. Remove and reserve the roe and tamale (green color, if interested). Cover and place in the refrigerator until you need it. Crush the prepared crabs in a pot, then add water, ginger and kelp. Turn heat to high. Once the liquid comes to a boil decrease heat to a simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Watch your pot and turn the heat down if needed so that the liquid will not boil over. Skim off and discard the impurities (the foam) that float to the top. Use this stock right away or once cooled pour it in a sealed container and keep refrigerated for up to 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. This stock is not seasoned so when you are ready to use you can adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

Helpful Hints: 

*For extra savory stock you may mix this with equal amount of another type of stock (home-made or store bought) such as chicken, turkey, pork, vegetable, mushroom, clam, and etc..
*This stock is good for many dishes including the egg custard which I will post next.
*When I make this broth I add the 4 carrot slices cut into a flower shape with an additional slice of equal thickness and place them in the broth to cook. I use the additional slice as a test to check when the pieces will be soft. Try not to cook these pieces until they are mushy since they will be part of the presentation of the custard cups.

crush the crabs

simmer the crushed crabs with ginger,
kelp and water for 25-30 minutes

strain the broth into a bowl and save the broth

discard the solids

green crab broth

cooking stock with cut carrot flowers

cooked carrot flowers

Addendum (5/24/2019):

You can also make this stock using just 10 prepared adult green crabs (male or females) and 2 cups of water. Add a few pieces of baby sugar kelp and ginger cut into matchsticks or chop. It is important to just let the stock simmer and not boil. You do not need to skim off and discard the impurities (the foam) that float to the top. This recipe will yield a little more than 3/4 cup of stock. Remember that adding more water will make more diluted stock.

simple green crab stock

Vietnamese Crab Sandwich (Banh Mi Cua)

Dr. Bradt gave me 5 crabs that recently molted in her lab. I kept them alive overnight in the refrigerator and made 2 sandwiches with them. Later in the afternoon I went to the coast and helped capture and survey the green crabs with 3 University of New Hampshire representatives and a group of about 10 other citizen scientists. In the end I came home with all the crabs! Luckily, there were a fair amount of soft-shell crabs but most were small. From what scientists have learned it is the ones less than an inch are causing the most destruction, eating up the baby soft-shell clams.

"Bánh mì" is a Vietnamese word for bread but it can also mean sandwich or sandwiches. In Sóc Trăng, Vietnam sandwiches are made using a few different types of fillings. I grew up eating the classic bánh mì thịt (meat) or bánh mì síu mại (dumplings). The meat could be xá xíu (Chinese barbecued pork) or heo quay (Chinese roast pork from a whole roast pig). When I was a child living in Vietnam, my mother, who is a jack-of-all-trades, had a portable cart where she sold bánh mì xá xíu. She marinaded the meat and grilled it over charcoal for a delicious and very fragrant bánh mì filling. I remember her bánh mì were perfectly made and delicious. She also drizzled a special seasoned bean sauce known in Vietnamese as "nước tương". To this day I can still remember this particular sauce. For years I returned to Vietnam to visit my late grandmother and often purchased bánh mì thịt, made with the roast pork from a young woman named Nhạn. Her husband roasts whole pigs and she sells the sandwiches in the afternoon after working in the market selling a variety of pork products in the morning. She also uses the same bean sauce that I remember from my mother's bánh mì. For my crab sandwiches I drizzle this sauce over them to recreate the Sóc Trăng style bánh mì that reminds me of my childhood and mother's comfort food. I have not eaten any bánh mì with this sauce outside my home anywhere else in the US. It is not necessary to use the Green Crab Golden Pâté in the bánh mì. Pâté is not typically added in the sandwiches in the part of Vietnam where I came from. The pâté is commonly used in the sandwiches I find in the US, mixed with cold cuts as the filling.

Prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time except for frying the crabs and reviving the baguette (French Bread) to make it crispy and crunchy. Wash and dry all the herbs and vegetables and put them in the refrigerator so they will stay fresh. Once you have the last 2 ingredients then you can quickly assemble the bánh mì. You can invite a few friends and let everyone assemble their own sandwiches! This way you can encourage your friends to eat more green crabs!

Vietnamese crab sandwiches (bánh mì cua)--traditional style

Vietnamese crab sandwiches (bánh mì cua)--open face style

traditional and open-face style

Vietnamese Crab Sandwiches (Bánh Mì Cua)

Ingredients:

1 freshly baked baguette (French Bread)
Fried Soft-Shell Green Crabs (About 30, 8 large and 22 small)
About 1/2 cup of Green Crab Golden Pate (or your favorite home-made or store bought pate)
About 1/2 English cucumber, sliced lenghwise thinly (about 1/8th inch thick)
A small bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and air dried
Thinly slices of red onion, soaked in cold water until ready to use, squeezed out water before using
1 small handful of sea asparagus, washed, blanched in microwave with a little water for 20 seconds
Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables (Do Chua)
Seasoned Black Bean Sauce (Nuoc Tuong)
Sriracha sauce or hot chili pepper slices

Method:

To Make Extra Crispy Baguette (French Bread):

Use home-made or store-bought baguette. Spray the top of the baguette with a little water, place it in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 7-8 minutes or until it is a little firm to touch. This will make your baguette extra crispy and fresh. I recently learned this trick of spraying water on the bread to make it crispy and crunchy from Cheryl, co-owner of Forty Five Market Street Bakery and Cafe in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

To Assemble Bánh Mì:

You can be creative and make it however you prefer. For this post I make 2 types. One is a traditional type where all the stuffing is in the middle. The other type is an appetizer, open-face style. I use either cilantro or sea asparagus on the appetizers but not both--more for visual presentation.

For the traditional ones I cut approximately two 6-inch and three 2 1/2-inch pieces of the bread. Slice the bread lengthwise about 3/4 of the way leaving a hinge. Spread a few spoonfuls of the Green Crab Golden Pate on each side, place a few slices of cucumber on one side, place 2-3 (depending on the size of the crabs) Fried Soft-Shell Green Crabs in the middle, stuff with Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables (Do Chua), onion and cilantro and drizzle with the Seasoned Black Bean Sauce (Nuoc Tuong) and Sriracha sauce or hot chili pepper slices if interested.

traditional style

For the appetizers, open-face I slice the baguette into fourteen 1/4 inch thick pieces, lightly toasted to crisp them. Spread the Green Crab Golden Pâté.  Next I layer on 1-2 slices of cucumber, a few sticks of Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables (Do Chua), a few slices of onion, either a few cilantro leaves or few sprigs of blanched sea asparagus, 1-3 crabs depending on the crab size and drizzle with the Seasoned Black Bean Sauce (Nuoc Tuong). I only drizzle half of the appetizers with sriracha sauce.

open-face style (with cilantro)

open-face style (with sea asparagus)

open-face style (with sea asparagus)

sea asparagus

I harvested this vegetable known as sea asparagus or salicornia while searching for the green crabs. I first ate them on Maui where they are referred to as sea asparagus. Later I discovered them growing in salt marshes and near the shore in New Hampshire. They are delicious with a slight saltiness. I like to blanch them for about 20 seconds before eating.