In spite of the obvious influence of stuffing shells and baking them, the Vietnamese have artfully made this dish their own with a combination of bean thread noodles and cloud ear mushrooms. It is time-consuming to cook the crabs yourself, so use freshly cooked crab meat from your fishmonger or supermarket. You will also need four small, empty crab shells. If you haven't eaten crab recently and kept the shells, you could ask your local fishmonger or look for some in the Asian markets. Alternatively, use individual ovenproof dishes. Bean thread noodles and cloud ear mushrooms are available in Chinese and Asian markets.

Ingredients : Serves 4

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180^oC.250^oF/Gas 4. Soak the bean thread noodles and cloud ear mushrooms separately in bowls of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.

• Squeeze them dry and chop them finely.

• In a bowl, mix together the noodles and mushrooms with the crab meat.

• Add the oil, nuoc mam, shallots, garlic, ginger and coriander. Season, then stir in the egg.

• Spoon the mixture into four small crab shells or individual ovenproof dishes, packing it in tightly, and dot the top of each one with a little butter.

• Place the shells on a baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned.

• Garnish with dill and serve with a little nuoc cham to drizzle over the top.