Ingredients

• 2 fresh whole crabs
• small piece root ginger
• sliced
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• bruised
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• bruised
• 1 shallot
• chopped
• splash of fish sauce
• plus extra to serve
• 2 white fish fillets of your choice
• 200g/7oz vermicelli noodles
• cooked and cut into manageable lengths
• 50g/2oz spring onion
• 1 large chilli
• sliced lengthways and deseeded
• 2 handfuls of fresh rao ram herb
• chopped (available at some Asian grocers. You can substitute a mixture of fresh coriander and mint)
• 1 lime
• cut into wedges
• freshly ground black pepper
• to taste

Directions

• Put the crabs in a pan and cover with water. Add the ginger
• lemongrass
• kaffir lime leaves
• shallot and a splash of fish sauce. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the crabs and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile
• place the white fish in the hot stock that the crab was cooked in and leave to cook in its residual heat.
• Pick the meat from the crabs. Reserve the white meat for the soup and use the dark meat for another dish.
• Place the noodles in a serving bowl
• then add the spring onions
• crabmeat
• chilli
• rao ram herb and lime wedges.
• Bring the broth back to the boil and ladle over the noodles
• together with a piece of white fish.
• Serve with fish sauce and freshly ground black pepper on the side.