Crab poached in beer and soy poached chicken

Crab poached in beer? Curiously, this is a Vietnamese recipe, not Australian.

These aromatic Vietnamese dishes — the crab from the coastal town of Nha Trang — make for relaxed eating.

Crab poached in beer

2 blue swimmer crabs | 250ml (1 cup) beer | 2 red chillies, sliced into rings | 2 lemongrass stems, white part only, chopped | 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced | Lime wedges, to serve

Vietnamese crab cooked in beer.

Prepare crabs and quarter each one with a cleaver. Pour beer into a large saucepan; add chilli and lemongrass. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add crab and simmer for 4-5 minutes. When shells are a deep red colour, remove crab pieces with a slotted spoon and place on a platter. Add lime leaves to the liquid, then pour this over the crab. Serves 6

Soy poached chicken

1 x 1.6kg whole chicken | Stock | 1 litre (4 cups) soy sauce | 60ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar | 125ml (½ cup) fish sauce | 2 tablespoons sugar | 2 tablespoons sesame oil | 1 teaspoon five-spice | 3 star anise | 1 cinnamon stick | 4cm knob fresh ginger, sliced | 4 garlic cloves, peeled | 6 spring onions, cut in half | 2 red chillies, halved lengthways

Combine stock ingredients and 2.5 litres of water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Gently lower chicken into stock. Place a small plate on top to ensure the bird is completely covered by the liquid. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep chicken in the stock for a further 2 hours then remove and cut into serving pieces. Strain stock, then cool and refrigerate for later use in other dishes. Serve chicken at room temperature with boiled rice and your favourite vegies. Serves 6

Australian chef Tracey Lister runs the Hanoi Cooking Centre in Vietnam. Edited extract from Made in Vietnam by Tracey Lister & Andreas Pohl (Hardie Grant Books, $40).