Thai Coconut Milk & Dungeness Crab Soup

Yield: 4 (6oz) Servings

Recipe by Lynmar Estate Chef David Frakes

Ingredients

• ½                     Lg                  Spaghetti Squash
• 8                       oz                  Cooked Crab Meat (or lobster or other shellfish)
• 1                        C                  White Wine (dry)
• 2 each 12 oz Cans               Unsweetened Thai Coconut Milk
• 2                        T                   Ginger (sliced)
• 2                       ea                   Garlic Cloves (sliced)
• ½                bunch                Cilantro
• 3                       ea                   Limes (juice only)
• 2                   reeds                 Lemon Grass (thinly sliced)
• ¼                       C                  Thai Fish Sauce
• 1                       ea                   Serrano Chile
• To taste                                 Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cut squash in half, scoop out and discard seeds, then place cut-side down in a deep baking dish.
3.  Add just enough water to come up about 1” of the side of the squash.
4.  Cover very tightly with aluminum foil.
5.  Bake for about 45 minutes (or until you can squeeze the sides of the squash easily).
6.  Remove squash from pan, let cool, then use a fork to gently scoop out the insides.
7.  Reserve flesh until ready to use. (Discard skin).
8.  In a 2 quart saucepan reduce the wine to a light syrup.
9.  Add the coconut milk, garlic, ginger, cilantro, lime juice, lemon grass, fish sauce and the chili.
10.  Simmer 15 min. then strain.
11.  Heat 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons butter.
12.  Add the crab meat and turn off the heat.
13.  Heat the spaghetti squash in a ½ cup water, 1 Tablespoon butter and a pinch of salt.
14. Place the soup in a bowl and place a mound of spaghetti squash in the center.
15.  Place the crab body meat in the soup and top with a few pieces of leg meat.
16.  Drizzle the crab and soup with the curry oil and garnish with the green tips of lemon grass or cilantro sprigs.

Thai Green Curry Paste

• 16       ea           Fresh Green Chilis
• 2         ea           Shallots, slices
• 4         ea           Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 1         ea           Lemongrass Stalk, chopped
• 2         ea           Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1           t            Cumin Seeds
• 1           t            Coriander Seeds
• 1          T            Grated Fresh Ginger Root
• 1           t            Grated Lime Rind
• 5         ea            Black Peppercorns
• 1          T            Sugar
• 2          T            Peanut, Corn or Rice Bran Oil

Instructions

1. Seed the chiles if you like and coarsely chop.
2. Place all the paste ingredients, except the oil, in a mortar and pound with a pestle.
3. Alternatively, process in a food processor.
4. Gradually blend in the oil.
5. Heat 2 T of oil in a preheated wok or large heavy bottom skillet.
6. Add 2 T of the curry paste and stir-fry briefly until all the aromas are released.
7. Add desired already cooked protein (chicken, fish or vegetables) and cook for 1-2 minutes (or until warmed through).
8. Serve immediately, with rice, if desired.