Spicy Korean Swimming Crab Soup (Kkotge Tang)

Method

1. 1

   Wash the crab

   Thaw frozen crab in the refrigerator. Scrub the shell and between the legs under running water, using kitchen shears and a cleaning brush. Keep your fingers clear of sharp claws and spines.

   

2. 2

   Remove the gills and apron

   Remove the top shell and apron, and cut away the gills with shears. Pat dry and weigh 450 g. Use the body and legs for the broth, leaving out the top shell.

   

3. 3

   Portion the crab

   Trim the leg tips. Use shears to halve the body, then halve each piece again. Wash hands, sink and tools before preparing the vegetables.

   

4. 4

   Cut radish, zucchini and onion

   Cut the radish 120 g into flat pieces about 5 mm thick, the zucchini 110 g into 1 cm half-moons and the onion 65 g into thick strips.

   

5. 5

   Slice green onion and chili

   Rinse the green onion 25 g and green chili 10 g under running water, then slice diagonally and set aside.

   

6. 6

   Dissolve doenjang and chili

   Pour the water 4 C + 1/2 C into the pot and press the doenjang 1 T against the side with a spoon to dissolve it. Add chili flakes 1 T + 1/2 T and minced garlic 1/2 T, stirring away any lumps.

   

7. 7

   Cook the radish first

   Bring the radish and broth to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and cook about 6 minutes. Add the crab once the radish edges turn translucent.

   

8. 8

   Simmer with crab and onion

   Add the crab and onion. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim away any large buildup of foam and turn down to medium.

   

9. 9

   Add the zucchini

   Add zucchini and maintain a steady simmer over medium heat. Cook until a chopstick slides easily into the radish and zucchini.

   

10. 10

    Check the crab’s internal temperature

    Insert a food thermometer into the thickest body meat without touching shell. Continue cooking over medium heat until the center holds at 85°C or above for at least 1 minute.

    

11. 11

    Add green onion and chili, then serve

    Add green onion and chili and cook about 1 minute. Discard shell fragments as you eat. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers at 4°C or below within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C indoors.