Bun Rieu - Pork, crab and noodle soup

Ingredients

• 6 litres Chicken stock
• 150g pork mince
• 200g tin crab mince
• 400g tin crab meat in spices
• 200g fresh crab meat
• 200g dried shrimps, blended
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 12 eggs
• 6 Tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
• 8 Spring onions
• 1 packet of lightly fried fresh bean curd (tofu)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• Oil
• 180g Tamarind – soaked overnight in water or cooked for 10 min in water
• 1 Lemon
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 450g pack Vermicelli noodles
• 1 Lettuce
   

Method

1. Place pork mince into large bowl
2. Add crab meat, dried shrimps, 12 eggs and fish sauce 
3. Mix well
4. In a very large saucepan, bring the chicken stock to the boil
5. One spoonful at a time, scoop the pork and crab mixture into the stock 
6. When the meat rises to the surface of the stock, add the tomatoes and sliced bean curd
7. In a separate small saucepan, heat a splash of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir for a couple of minutes 
8. Pour over the top of soup to add colour
9. Place pre-soaked tamarind paste into a strainer over soup 
10. Pour a couple of spoonfuls of hot broth through sieve to help release flavour from the pulp
11. Add chopped spring onions, lemon and sugar

To serve:

Soften the Vermicelli noodles in hot water and place a handful into individual soup bowls.  Pour the soup over the noodles.  Top with thinly sliced lettuce.