This is fearsomely complex but can easily be adapted with fewer ingredients, omission of the wontons, changing the crab to mussels etc. Main point is the delicious soup packed with ginger and using fresh wonton wrappers as 'instant' noodles.
2 medium-hot chillies, halved
2 red onions, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced
6 cloves garlic, crushed with skins on
3 tsp dried shrimp paste
10 cm thumb of ginger, finely sliced
10 cm thumb of galangal, finely sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
6 lime leaves
4 stalks lemongrass, bashed
150 g minced raw prawn meat
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
Fish sauce
6 spring onions, finely sliced
wonton wrappers
12 small bok choy, halved
lemon juice
1 c fresh coriander leaves
1/4 c mint leaves
Remove claws and crack them. Smash the body and legs of the crabs with a hammer, put on a roasting dish and cook in a 220'C oven for 30 mins. Add chillies, carrot, garlic and shrimp paste, cook 20 mins more. Tip everything into a pot and cover with 3 l water, simmer a little and skim, add ginger, galangal, tomatoes, lime leaves, lemon grass and simmer gently for 2 hours. At some point remove the meat from the claws, set aside and return claws to pot.
Mix prawn, ginger, fish sauce, spring onions together, chill in fridge 30 mins. Put a little in a wonton wrapper and seal edges with water.
Strain stock, return to boil and add bok choy. Add wontons and cook 4 mins. Shred remaining wonton wrappers into 'noodles' and drop these in, cook briefly. Adjust seasoning.
Serve with crab meat and herbs.
From: The Sugar Club cookbook
