Bun Rieu: Classic Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Pork Neck Bones or Spare Ribs (900g)
• 10 quarts Water (9.5 Litres)
• 1/4 cup Dried Shrimp (40g)
• 2 Tbsp Rock Sugar (or Granulated Sugar)
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 4 Tbsp Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam)
• 5 large Large Tomatoes, quartered
• 4 medium Shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Annatto Seeds (or Annatto Oil)
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 12 oz Ground Crab Meat (340g)
• 4 oz Lean Ground Pork (115g, optional)
• 3 large Large Eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp Fish Sauce (for rieu)
• 1/2 tsp White Pepper
• 1 lb Thin Rice Vermicelli (Bún) (450g)
• 1 cup Fried Tofu Puffs (Đậu Hũ)
• 1 cup Pork or Beef Blood Cubes (Huyết, optional)
• 1 tsp Fermented Shrimp Paste (Mắm Tôm) (To taste)
• 2 cups Fresh Bean Sprouts
• 1 cup Shredded Water Spinach (Rau Muống)
• Large handfuls Vietnamese Balm (Kinh Giới) & Perilla (Tía Tô)
• 6 wedges Lime Wedges
• Sliced Jalapeños or Thai Chili (To taste)
• 1/2 cup Chopped Spring Onions and Coriander