M AY 2019 115
and salt. Continue adding stock,^1 / 4 cup
at a time, stirring often, until stock is
almost absorbed after each addition,
rice is al dente, and mixture is creamy,
5 to 7 minutes longer. (You may not need
all remaining stock.) Remove from heat.
Stir in butter, lemon juice, and 3 table-
spoons reserved chopped parsley. Sea-
son to taste with salt. Divide risotto
among 4 bowls, and top evenly with lan-
goustines, clams, squid, and remaining
2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Serve
immediately with lemon wedges.
—JOE FLAMM, SPIAGGIA, CHICAGO
WINE Complex Friulian (or Croatian) white:
2016 Marco Felluga Just MolamattaCrispy Soft-Shell Crab Banh Mi
with Tamarind Sauce
PHOTO P. 80
ACTIVE 50 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 15 MIN
SERVES 6Tamarind crab is another classic Vietnam-
ese dish—the tart sauce melding with
fresh crabmeat—but it can be a bit messy
to eat. Summer Le simplifies things by
switching to soft-shell crab (available year-
round in Vietnam). Her restaurant plating
is chic, but the crab is even better stuffed
into a banh mi sandwich.11 / 2 cups hot water (just cool enough to
touch)
11 / 3 cups peeled tamarind fruit
(removed from 1 lb. whole tamarind
pods)
4 lemongrass stalks(^1) / 4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced (about^3 / 4 cup)
6 Tbsp. sambal oelek
6 Tbsp. ketchup
6 Tbsp. granulated sugar
41 /^2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
11 / 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. achiote (ground annatto) oil
(such as La Favorita Vegetable Oil
with Annatto)
10 cups canola oil
1 cup cornstarch (about 4^1 / 2 oz.),
divided
(^1) / 2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 (^1) / 8 oz.)
11 / 2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup club soda
6 large soft-shell crabs, cleaned and
cut into quarters
6 (10-inch) baguettes
(^3) / 4 cup mayonnaise
11 / 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro
leaves and tender stems
11 / 2 cups Pickled Carrots and Daikon
(recipe p. 116)
- Place hot water and tamarind fruit in a
bowl. While submerged in water, separate
tamarind pulp from seeds with your fin-
gers. Let mixture stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut lemongrass stalks into
3-inch pieces. Working in 4 batches, place
lemongrass pieces in a mortar; smash
with pestle until fragrant and fibers are
separated. Set aside. - Pour soaked tamarind mixture through
a fine wire-mesh strainer into a small
bowl, rubbing and pressing softened tam-
arind pulp back and forth across strainer
to extract liquid. Discard solids; reserve
strained liquid. - Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan
over high. Add shallots and smashed lem-
ongrass; cook, stirring often, until shal-
lots begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir
in sambal oelek, ketchup, sugar, bouillon
granules, salt, achiote oil, and strained
tamarind liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to medium; simmer, stirring often,
until flavors have melded and sauce thick-
ens slightly, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from
heat. Pour through a fine wire-mesh
strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing
on solids with a spoon to extract liquid.
Discard solids. Cover to keep warm until
ready to serve. - Heat canola oil in a wok over medium-
high to 350°F. Place^1 / 2 cup cornstarch in
a shallow bowl. Whisk together flour, bak-
ing powder, and remaining^1 / 2 cup corn-
starch in a separate shallow bowl. Whisk
club soda into flour mixture until just
combined. Pat crab quarters dry. Working
in 4 batches, dredge crabs in cornstarch,
shaking off excess. Dip into flour batter,
allowing excess to drip off. Place in hot oil;
fry until crisp and light golden brown,
about 4 minutes, turning once halfway
through cook time. Drain on a wire rack
set inside a rimmed baking sheet. - Using a serrated knife, split baguettes,
cutting to, but not through, opposite side.
Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise on cut
sides of baguettes. Divide crabs evenly
among baguettes. Spoon tamarind sauce
over crabs; top each with^1 / 4 cup cilantro
leaves and^1 / 4 cup pickled carrots and dai-
kon. —SUMMER LE, NEN RESTAURANT, DA
NANG, VIETNAM
WINE Lemony Australian white: 2017
Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon