5 Delicious & Authentic Ways to Cook Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup (Lẩu Cua Đồng)

Field crab hotpot is a rustic dish imbued with the flavors of home, closely associated with the memories of Vietnamese family meals. The naturally refreshing sweet taste of field crab, blended with rich crab fat pudding, mildly sour tomatoes, and fresh green vegetables, makes this dish always attractive, especially on chilly days. If you are looking for how to cook crab hotpot that is delicious, authentic, and easy to make at home while still retaining its full traditional flavor, follow the detailed step-by-step guide in the article below by Ola Squid!

1. How to cook Northern-style field crab hotpot

1.1. Ingredients

Ingredients to prepare:

• 500g fresh field crabs
• 200g beef
• 2 blocks of silken tofu, 4 tomatoes
• 5 fertilized duck eggs
• Purple onions, lemongrass
• Side vegetables: water spinach, banana blossom, sesbania flowers, raw bean sprouts, etc.
• Salt, sugar, MSG, vinegar, seasoning powder, seasoned fish sauce

1.2. Directions

The steps to cook Northern-style field crab hotpot are as follows:

• Step 1: After purchasing field crabs, soak them for about 2 hours to remove mud, wash thoroughly, then separate the shells and crab roe. Grind the crab meat with about 1.5 liters of water, strain the liquid, and keep the crab fat pudding. Wash the tomatoes, cut them into wedges, and mince the purple onions. Smash the lemongrass and wash the silken tofu, then let it drain.
• Step 2: Sauté the purple onions until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and stir-fry until soft, season lightly, and scoop into a bowl. Continue to put the crab roe into the pan, stir-fry quickly until fragrant, then turn off the heat.
• Step 3: Next, cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces, deep-fry until golden on all sides, then remove and drain.
• Step 4: Boil the crab water over low heat, season to taste, and scoop out the floating crab pudding. Add the lemongrass, sautéed tomatoes, and a little vinegar for a refreshing sour taste. When the water boils again, add the crab roe and fried tofu to complete. Northern field crab hotpot tastes better when served with beef, fertilized duck eggs, and fresh vegetables.

2. How to cook Western-style field crab hotpot

2.1. Prepare ingredients

Ingredients to prepare:

• 500g ground field crab
• 3 soft-shell crabs (or young crabs)
• 5 stalks of lemongrass, 6 tomatoes
• Purple onions, garlic, minced chili
• Rice vermicelli or noodles for serving
• Side vegetables: Malabar spinach, pumpkin flowers, luffa, red spinach, straw mushrooms, etc.
• 1 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons cooking oil

2.2. Execution steps

How to make Western-style field crab hotpot:

• Step 1: First, wash the field crabs then put them in a blender with 1.5-2 liters of water, filter carefully to get the crab water and keep the pudding part. Clean the soft-shell crabs, separate the roe, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Smash the lemongrass and cut into sections, then wash the tomatoes and cut into wedges.
• Step 2: Pour the crab water into a pot, season lightly with salt, and cook over medium heat until the crab pudding floats and coagulates. Then lower the heat, add lemongrass to the pot to create a fragrance, and you can add more boiling water if needed.
• Step 3: Sauté purple onions, garlic, and chili with cooking oil, then add tomatoes and stir-fry until soft, then pour into the broth pot. Continue to stir-fry the crab roe for a beautiful color, then add the soft-shell crabs and stir quickly until firm before adding everything to the pot. Finally, re-season to taste, boil gently, remove the lemongrass, and turn off the heat when the crabs are just cooked. Western field crab hotpot has a natural sweetness, mild richness from crab and vegetables, and goes very well with vermicelli or noodles.

See more: What is delicious to cook with field crab? 11 suggestions for nutritious dishes

3. How to make field crab hotpot with fertilized duck eggs

3.1. Ingredients

Ingredients to prepare:

• 500g ground field crab
• 200g fish cake, 5 fertilized duck eggs
• 200g straw mushrooms, 3-4 tomatoes
• 3 pieces of golden fried tofu
• Green onions, purple onions
• Side vegetables: Malabar spinach, pumpkin flowers, luffa
• 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A little cooking oil

3.2. Cooking method

How to cook field crab hotpot with duck embryos is as follows:

• Step 1: First, mix the ground crab meat with a little salt, add water then filter slowly through a sieve to get the crab water. Filter until the crab remains are pale in color, then stop and keep the pure crab broth.
• Step 2: Cut the straw mushrooms in half and soak them in diluted salt water. Mix the fish cake with minced green onions, a bit of fried shallots, and cooking oil. Sauté the purple onions, add tomatoes and season lightly to create color and flavor for the hotpot broth.
• Step 3: Next, boil the crab water over medium heat until the crab pudding floats in pieces, gently scoop it out and set aside. Add the sautéed tomatoes to the pot, wait for the water to boil again, then drop the fish cake in small pieces. When the fish cake is cooked, add straw mushrooms and tofu, cook for a few more minutes then turn off the heat.
• Step 4: When enjoying, place the pot on the stove and add the fertilized duck eggs, serving with hotpot vegetables. Field crab hotpot with duck embryos has a sweet broth, rich crab pudding, and chewy fish cake, combined with green vegetables to create a flavorful and attractive dish for the whole family.

>> Must-try dish: What is delicious to cook with stone crab? 10 delicious dishes from stone crab to conquer every palate

4. How to cook field crab hotpot with clown featherback fish cake

4.1. Ingredients

The ingredients to prepare include:

• 400g ground field crab
• 200g clown featherback fish paste
• 1 duck egg, 200g minced meat
• 500g fresh rice vermicelli, 100g green onions
• Side vegetables: Malabar spinach, red spinach, enoki mushrooms
• 3 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons seasoning powder

4.2. Directions

How to perform the field crab hotpot with clown featherback fish cake:

• Step 1: Proceed to wash the green onions, mince the leafy part and keep the white parts. Then mix the fish paste with sugar, seasoning powder, and green onion leaves, knead well until the fish cake is chewy and sticky, ready for the hotpot cooking step.
• Step 2: Stir the ground crab with water, filter through a sieve to get smooth and clear crab water. Next, boil the crab water, scoop out the floating pudding and set aside, keeping the sweet and clear broth.
• Step 3: Marinate the minced meat with salt, pepper, seasoning powder, and the egg. Mix well with the crab pudding to make a flexible mixture used for crab meat balls. Then boil the crab broth and drop each crab meat ball in to cook for about 10 minutes.
• Step 4: Finally, add the white onion parts and re-season, continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes then turn off the heat. When enjoying, you only need to dip enoki mushrooms, red spinach, and Malabar spinach in, and the hotpot is complete. The field crab hotpot with clown featherback fish cake has a naturally sweet broth and flavorful crab meat balls combined with crisp vegetables that everyone will praise.

5. How to cook Hai Phong field crab hotpot

5.1. Ingredients

Ingredients to prepare

• 500g field crab
• 150g beef shank, 300g pork marrow bones
• 100g young pork intestines, 15g fresh shrimp
• 200g fish cake, ½kg clams
• Fried tofu, 10 dracontomelon fruits (sấu)
• 2 ginger roots, 5 tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon seasoning powder
• 500g side vegetables, a little pepper

5.2. Cooking instructions

Instructions to cook Hai Phong field crab hotpot are as follows:

• Step 1: You need to peel the onions and ginger, grill them until slightly charred to release fragrance. Then boil a pot of water, add the grilled onions, ginger, and pork marrow bones to simmer for a sweet broth.
• Step 2: Next, marinate the beef with minced ginger, pepper, and seasoning powder for about 20 minutes. Clean the shrimp, clams, and young intestines thoroughly, cut the tomatoes into wedges, peel the dracontomelon and cut small.
• Step 3: Cook the broth over low heat, add the crab roe, tomatoes, dracontomelon, and a little vinegar. When the water boils, drop the seafood, intestines, and fish cake into the pot.
• Step 4: Finally, add the fried tofu and side vegetables into the pot or arrange them separately. This Hai Phong field crab hotpot should be enjoyed with fresh vermicelli or instant noodles to feel the fragrant and cooling broth.

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6. What vegetables should field crab hotpot be eaten with?

Field crab hotpot is best when accompanied by many fresh vegetables, helping to balance the richness of the crab roe and making the hotpot broth more refreshing. Familiar vegetables like water spinach and Malabar spinach provide a harmonious soft-crunchy texture, while shredded banana blossom and young banana stalks create a light crunchy highlight that effectively prevents greasiness.

Additionally, vegetables and flowers such as water mimosa, water lily, pumpkin flowers, and sesbania flowers contribute to the characteristic rustic and simple flavor of the hotpot. Luffa, mustard greens, Chinese cabbage, and bean sprouts help the broth become naturally sweeter and easier to eat. You can also combine with oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, or some herbs like perilla, lemon balm, and culantro.

7. Experience in buying delicious field crabs

To cook this hotpot deliciously, you should note some points below when choosing field crabs:

• Prioritize choosing fresh field crabs with shiny shells, bright yellow or light gray colors, looking healthy and firm.
• Buy female crabs as they usually have more roe and firm meat, helping the broth be richer and more fragrant.
• Choose crabs with smaller claws that cling tightly to the body, sturdy shells that are not loosely attached to ensure more meat.
• The appropriate size is slightly larger than a big toe; avoid crabs that are too big or too small as the meat is not as good.
• If you buy pre-ground or processed crab, choose a reputable seller where the crab is still fresh and hygiene is ensured.
• For packaged or canned crab, check the expiration date and clear origin carefully to ensure quality.

Hopefully, with the shares above, you have mastered how to cook crab hotpot that is fragrant, authentic, and easy to perform right at home to treat family and friends. We wish you successful preparation, and if you want to explore more attractive recipes, cooking secrets, or other useful articles, do not forget to visit the website olasquid.com! Beside the hotpot, you can also consider our premium dried squid products to make your family gatherings even more complete.