Pig Tail Dumplings, Spicy Crab Broth, Blue Crab, Lemon, and Mint

Heat oven to 210°F. In a large pot, place pig tails and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and drain tails. In a braising pan over medium-high flame, heat coconut oil, and add garlic and ginger. When garlic is golden, add cinnamon, saté, and bean paste. Cook 4 minutes. Add lemongrass, orange, basil, ½ bunch cilantro, crab paste, stock, and pig tails. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise in oven for 12 hours, until fork tender. Let tails cool in braising liquid. Drain tails, reserving them separately from liquid. Pass liquid through a chinois into a pan and reduce by half. Pick and coarsely chop pig tail meat. Finley chop remaining cilantro (leaves only) and transfer to bowl with meat and 2 cups reduced braising liquid. Season with salt and additional saté. Cover and refrigerate.

In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Slowly stream in water, mixing by hand. After dough comes together knead 5 minutes. (The dough should be very tough and dry, almost crumbly, and look like it needs more water.) Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. Knead dough 5 more minutes, until soft and silky. Cover with plastic and bench-rest 5 minutes. Cut and roll dough into 5-ounce balls, keeping dough covered with plastic. Dust work surface and one ball with flour and flatten dough with a rolling pin until ¼-inch thick. With a 4-inch ring cutter, cut circles from flattened dough. Place a ¾-ounce spoonful of Pig Tail Filling in the center of each circle and pinch the top into a half-moon shape to seal dumpling. Transfer dumplings to a floured sheet tray. Repeat until there are 18 dumplings. Cover and refrigerate.

In a large saucepot over medium-high flame, heat vegetable oil. Add crabs and cook until they’re deeply red. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. When onions are golden brown, add celery and pastes. Cook 4 minutes. With a whisk, stir in flour followed by stock. Using butchers twine, tie together lemongrass, herb stems, and cinnamon. Drop bundle into broth and tie remaining twine loosely to the handle of the pot. Bring to a simmer and lower heat to medium- low. Cook 30 minutes, skimming impurities from surface. Remove broth from heat, discard herb bundle, and season with salt. 

In a large pot over high heat, bring water to a simmer. Lower heat to medium (water should be about 180°F). Add salt. Drop in Dumplings and cook 4 minutes, until dough is tender; drain. In a wide saucepan, warm 1 cup reserved Pig Tail cooking liquid and 2 quarts Spicy Crab Broth. In a bowl, combine crab, coconut oil, mint chiffonade, and lemon; season with salt. Onto center of a deep serving platter, place Dumplings and surround with broth. Top with crab salad and finish with preserved lemon, whole mint, basil, and cilantro.