Banh Canh Cua (Vietnamese Thick Crab and Pork Noodle Soup)

Gently separate 250 g fresh banh canh noodles.

If using dried noodles, cook them separately according to the package, drain, and measure 250 g cooked noodles, then add them to the soup just long enough to heat through. Finely chop 20 g scallion and beat 1 egg.

Pour 900 ml pork stock into a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add 180 g crab meat once it bubbles, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes so the broth takes on sweet crab aroma without breaking up the meat.

Dissolve 1 tablespoon tapioca starch completely in a little cold water, removing every lump before it reaches the pot.

Drizzle it into the simmering broth in small additions while stirring, and stop when the liquid lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Add the fresh banh canh noodles and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring down to the bottom so the thickened broth does not catch. Stop once the noodles turn translucent, slippery outside, and chewy inside rather than letting them soften too far. If using separately cooked dried noodles, heat them in the soup only until warmed through.

Season with 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, then taste the broth before adding more heat.

Pour the beaten egg in a thin circle, wait about 20 seconds, and stir gently so it sets into soft curds instead of disappearing.

Just before turning off the heat, check the thickness again because tapioca continues to tighten as it sits.

If it is too heavy, loosen it with a little hot stock or water, then ladle into bowls, top with scallion, and serve hot.