2 hot Thai chiles, green or red, sliced, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2cups bean sprouts
1/4cup fish sauce
4 teaspoons tamarind paste
4 teaspoons sugar
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
1/4cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
Lime wedges
Instructions
To prepare live crabs, use sharp kitchen scissors to cut off the eyes and mouth, and the gills (under the shell on either side). Turn the crab over and remove the flap that looks like a “T” on males and a bell on females (called the “apron”). Cut into quarters.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the noodles to the boiling water and stir. Turn the heat off and let soak until the noodles are tender, anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the noodles. Drain and shake off any excess water.
Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the eggs. For the first minute or 2, stir quickly with a fork held flat against the bottom of the pan, so you make a thin “crepe” with very small curds. Cook just until set then transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1/4-inch strips. Cut the lime leaves into strips (use scissors if you like) as thin as you can manage.
Raise the heat to high and add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet. When it’s hot, add the crab (or shrimp), chiles, garlic, scallions, and half the bean sprouts to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the crab is cooked through and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes (a little less for shrimp).
Add the drained noodles, egg strips, the fish sauce, tamarind, and sugar to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are heated through. Toss once or twice, taste and adjust the seasoning, and transfer to a platter. Top with the cucumber, lime leaves, peanuts, and remaining bean sprouts. Serve right away, passing the lime wedges at the table.