Vietnamese hot pot with crab and ribs

Ingredients

• 500 g of freshwater crab
• 500 g of pork belly
• 1 small bowl of fermented rice vinegar
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 2 shallots
• 1 bunch of aromatic herbs
• 1 head of lettuce
• 200 g of fish balls
• 250 g of rice vermicelli
• 200 g of tofu
• 300 g of beef
• salt and seasonings

Cut the tofu into pieces and fry it until it is crispy.

Combine the crab meat with the purée, setting aside the coral. Strain the meat to collect the juice, lightly salt it, and bring it to a boil until the crab meat rises to the surface. Then, remove it from the heat and place it in a bowl.

Heat the oil and sauté the finely chopped shallots until they are browned. Add the crab meat and cook for a moment, then remove from the heat.

Rinse the stems, blanch them to remove impurities, and then rinse them again.

Season the ribs, brown them on both sides, cover with water, and simmer until tender.

Wash the beef, season it with garlic, ginger, and spices, and set it aside to cook in the broth.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, finely chop the green onions, and halve the shallots, then add them to the crab broth to create the base.

Wash the herbs and vegetables before serving them with the fondue. If desired, add a little banana blossom for an extra flavour.

Place the crab broth in a pot, add the fermented vinegar, and season. Bring to a boil, then add the coral, cooked shrimp, fish balls, and fried tofu. Serve with vermicelli: the red color of the tomato broth, the green of the onion, and the golden color of the fried tofu enhance the crab.