Ming Tsai

Recipes

Directions

For the Lemongrass English Pea Pancakes:

With a chef knife or in a food processor, mince lemongrass as fine as possible. Add cream cheese, English peas, scallion and egg with lemongrass in food processor and pulse to combine. Add salt and pepper and flour just to combine.

For the nuoc cham:

Combine the ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar together and set aside.

For the soft shell crabs and to finish:

Try to dry the crabs as much as possible and dredge in rice flour. Heat 1/2 cup oil at a time in 12-inch skillet. Scoop pancake mix into skillet and cook about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove and set on paper towel-lined sheet. Add more oil and carefully set in crabs, 3 at a time. Cook on top side for about 2-3 minutes, turn over and cook on bottom side for another 2 minutes, adding butter at last 30 seconds. Be careful, soft shell crabs have a lot of water and when that hits hot oil, they will spurt. Remove and set on paper towel-lined sheet.

To plate: Set 1-2 pancakes on each serving plate. Set a soft-shell crab on top.
Dress with a little vinaigrette. Garnish with chili slices, cilantro and mint.