Crab Cha Gio with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce and Crab Noodle Salad (the Easier Dish)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Maine crab leg meat, picked clean
• 2 cups, rehydrated mung bean noodles, cut into 2 to 3-inch lengths
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions, green part only
• 2 serrano chiles, de-stemmed and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (3 Crab)
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 bunch picked Thai basil leaves
• 1 package (12-inch) ban trang, rice paper
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

• 1 head red leaf lettuce
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint

Directions

In a large, chilled bowl, mix together the crab, noodles, scallions, chiles, cilantro, fish sauce, lime juice and basil. Check for seasoning. At this point, you have the Crab Salad finished. You can drizzle a little of the mango sauce to complete the plating. Now to finish the cha gio. Take the same mixture and roll it in rehydrated rice paper. Let rest, seam side down for 2 minutes. Fry at 375 degrees until golden brown.

PLATING Slice the cha gio on the bias and plate on a very small mound of the filling. Serve the sauce in a soy sauce dish. Use the red leaf lettuce to pick up the hot cha gio with your fingers. Garnish with the fresh mint.

SPICY MANGO DIPPING SAUCE:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 large shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sambal
• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

In a blender, add the mangoes, shallots, vinegar, sambal and juice. Blend at high speed and add the oil. Season and check for seasoning.

BEVERAGE Tropical Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)