SERVES FOUR

INGREDIENTS:
ISml1l tbsp vegetable oil
2 sha ll ots , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
ISml1l tbsp rice fl our or
cornflour (cornstarch)
22Sg/80z1l 1/3 cups cooked crab meat , chopped into sma ll pieces
4S0gll1 b preserved asparagus,
fi nely chopped, or 4S0gll ib fre sh
asparagus, trimmed and steamed
salt and ground black pepper
basil and co ri ander (c il antro) leaves, to garnish
nUDe cham, to serve

For the stock:
1 meaty chicken carcass
2Sglloz dried sh rim p, soaked in
water for 30 minutes, rinsed
and drained
2 oni ons, pee led and quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
ISm 111 tbsp nUDe mam
6 black peppercorns
sea salt

Method:
1 To make the stock, put the ch icken ca rcass into a large pan. Add al l the other stock ingredients, except the sa lt, and pour in 2 litres/3 1h pints/8 cups water. Bring to the boil , boil for a few minutes, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 1 1/2-2 hours. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 minutes to reduce the stock . Skim off any fat, season , then strain th e stock and measure out l.5 litres 1 1/2 lh pints 6 1/4 cups.

2 Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok. Stir in the shallots and garlic, unti l they begin to colour. Remove from the heat, sti r in the flour, and then pour in the
stock. Put the pan back over the heat and bring to the boil, st irring constantly, until smooth.

3 Add the crab meat and asparagus , reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with sa lt and pepper, then ladle the soup into bowls, garn ish with fresh basil and coriander leaves, and serve with a splash of nUDe cham.

COOK'S TIP:
In households close to the sea, where large crabs - some as large as 60cm/2ft in diameter - can be found in abundance, this soup may be made using a generous
quantity of fresh crab . If you have a good supply of fresh crabs, you can increase the quantity of crab meat as much as you like, to make a soup that is very rich and fi lling.

Crab and Asparagus Soup with Nuoc Cham