Food, Wine

The Garlic Noodles with Crab that Took SF & LA By Storm

Garlic Noodles with Crab, like many iconic California dishes, was born out of the creative fusion of the many different cultures that coexist here in the Golden State.

Since the Gold Rush days, the allure of California has drawn people from all over the world. Today, the state is home to upwards of 10.5 million immigrants. So you probably won’t be surprised to learn that fusion cuisine was invented here. Yeah, you could say that we like to play with our food. This month’s recipe was based on Chef Helene An’s famous Garlic Noodles. Inspired by ingredients and flavors found in her Italian neighborhood of San Francisco, she created a seafood noodle dish that combined Asian sauces with Parmesan cheese and West Coast native Dungeness crab. The resulting dish was comforting and totally addictive and propelled her to fame in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, where she opened a sister restaurant. If you can’t get a reservation, don’t worry, you can make it at home. We share our version of her recipe below.

Going Green in La La Land (and Beyond)

One thing is for certain — Californians care about the environment, and they are taking small steps to be more sustainable in their everyday lives. From reducing the use of single-use plastics (saying NO to plastic bottles, straws, cutlery and packaging) to seeking out and supporting restaurants that are committed to reducing food waste, supporting local farmers and offering sustainable wine choices, we can make an impact each and every day all around the Golden State.

Last year Yelp launched a new tool to help diners find and support restaurants that are more eco-friendly. There are new ways to search for business attributes including “EV charging station available,” “plastic-free packaging,” “provides reusable tableware,” “bring your own container allowed” and “compostable containers available.” These new search functions were added to the platform’s already existing relevant searches for “bike parking” and “vegan.” Everything is now highlighted in Yelp search results and business pages so it’s easy to find.

Beyond that, when shopping for and preparing your own food, it’s pretty simple to make sustainable choices. In much of California there are year-round farmers’ markets where you can support local farming families. In the supermarket, look for and buy food with the blue CA GROWN license plate or the label “grown in the USA.” And when purchasing wine, look for the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing logo on the back of the bottle. Each of us can do our part to make our cities and homes more sustainable.

April is Down to Earth Month

Down to Earth Month is a celebration of California winegrowers’ commitment to sustainable practices. The California wine industry is a world leader in sustainable winegrowing. Did you know that a whopping 80% of wine from the Golden State is made in 178 certified sustainable wineries? And 60% of the vineyards in California are certified sustainable!

So what exactly is sustainable wine? Let’s break it down. California winegrowers are steadfast in their desire to produce great wines, while also protecting the environment and being good neighbors and employers. Let’s not overlook the importance of running a successful business too. There are a lot of measures that wineries have put in place to make sure they are meeting their sustainability goals. Sustainable wineries make efforts to conserve water and energy, keep soils healthy, protect wildlife habitats and manage pests responsibly as well. They also strive to be a great place to work and to give back to their local communities. In short, sustainability is a commitment to environmental responsibility, social responsibility and good business practices, all with the aim of making the best wine possible.

When we choose sustainable wine (and seafood in the recipe below) we’re helping do our part to ensure a healthier planet for generations to come.

Garlic Noodles with Crab, like many iconic California dishes, is a dish that was born out of the creative fusion of the many different cultures that coexist here in the Golden State. In 1970s San Francisco, Vietnamese chef Helene An was inspired by her surrounding Italian neighborhood and cooked noodles using ingredients that were locally available to her. She came up with Garlic Noodles served with Roast Crab, using umami rich Asian sauces, Italian parmesan cheese and Dungeness crab, a type of crab that lives in the cold waters off the coast of California and the rest of the West Coast. Garlic Noodles and Roast Crab are now famous at both Chef An’s original Thanh Long restaurant as well as the sister restaurant Crustacean in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The restaurant prepares whole Dungeness crab by roasting it, but we’re skipping that step and simply re-warming Dungeness crab that your fishmonger has already steamed for you. Look for cooked Dungeness crabs that are bright orange-red and heavy for their size. Dungeness crab is considered a good choice for sustainable seafood. A full-bodied California Chardonnay is a perfect pairing for the buttery noodles. For something to balance out the rich flavors, try a bright California rosé.

Ingredients

For the Dungeness Crab:

2 Dungeness crabs, about 2 pounds (1 kg) each, cleaned and steamed
8 tablespoons (120 mL) butter
10 cloves or 1 whole head of garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons (10 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cracked black pepper (coarse grind)

For the Garlic Noodles:

12 ounces (350 g) spaghetti noodles or Asian fresh egg noodles
10 cloves or 1 whole head of garlic
1 tablespoon (15 mL) light soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) premium oyster sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) finely grated Parmesan-style cheese
1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter
¼ cup (60 mL) sliced scallions

Directions

To prepare the Dungeness crab:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn the heat off. Carefully slide Dungeness crabs into the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes to warm crabs. Remove crabs from hot water to a colander or bowl to drain off excess water. Rinse out pot; you will use it for the Garlic Noodles.
In a wok or large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant.
If the wok or pan is large enough, add both warmed Dungeness crabs to the pan. Spoon garlic butter over the crabs, and using a pair of tongs, gently turn the crabs over a few times to make sure they are entirely coated in the garlic butter. Add salt and pepper. Remove Dungeness crabs to serving plate, drizzle remaining garlic butter from pan over the crabs.
Set cooked crabs aside while you make the Garlic Noodles.
Wipe out pan or wok; you will use it to make the Garlic Noodles.
To make the garlic noodles:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add noodles and cook noodles according to package directions until al dente. Depending on the type and brand of noodles, the cooking time can be anywhere from 90 seconds to 12 minutes. Save 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles. Do not rinse the noodles.
While noodles are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Very finely mince garlic cloves.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, finely grated parmesan cheese and sugar if using.
Heat olive oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and stir until melted into olive oil. Add minced garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 90 seconds. Do not allow garlic to brown.
Stir the sauce mixture into the melted butter in the pan.
Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss with sauce to coat the noodles, about 1 minute. If the noodles and sauce become too dry in the pan, add reserved cooking water to pan a few tablespoons at a time to loosen the noodles.
Transfer the Garlic Noodles to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately alongside Dungeness Crabs.
Store leftover Dungeness crab and Garlic Noodles separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Dungeness crabs will keep for one day. Garlic Noodles will keep for up to two days
Notes and Substitutions
Dungeness crabs can weigh anywhere from 2-4 pounds (1-2 kilograms) per crab. About 30% of that will be actual crab meat. Allot ½ a large Dungeness crab per serving.
You can make Garlic Noodles with whatever long, thin noodles are available to you. If you have access to Asian-style fresh noodles, use them because they have a subtle bouncy texture that you don’t get from regular dried spaghetti noodles.
Fish sauce is a liquid sauce made from fermented fish and salt. Though fish sauce can have an intense fragrance directly from the bottle, the final dish does not actually smell or taste strongly “fishy.” Fish sauce adds umami and salt. You can find fish sauce in the condiments or the Asian food section of grocery stores, or online. If you cannot find fish sauce, substitute with additional soy sauce or miso paste mixed with water.
Oyster sauce is a thick sauce made primarily from oysters. It adds umami and a subtle sweetness to final dishes. Look for a brand that has “oyster” as the first ingredient. If you cannot find oyster sauce, substitute with an equivalent amount of a mix of half soy sauce and half sugar.
We listed “Parmesan-style cheese” in the ingredients, but you can use any strong, grating cheese that is available to you.
For a vegetarian version of Garlic Noodles, use vegetarian “fish sauce” and vegetarian “oyster sauce,” both of which are commonly made with mushrooms.
For a vegan version of Garlic Noodles, use spaghetti noodles (not egg noodles), the same substitutions for fish sauce and oyster sauce as above, substitute Parmesan cheese with an equivalent amount of nutritional yeast, and use plant-based butter.

Which Wine? A Lesson in Contrasts

Chardonnay is California’s most planted winegrape and is by far the most popular wine in the United States. A full-bodied California Chardonnay, in particular, is a great complement for creamy pasta dishes like these Garlic Noodles with Crab. But if Chardonnay isn’t your first choice or you prefer something a bit drier, try a crisp, bright California rosé. The juicy acidity will help cut some of the richness in the dish yet is also a great pairing with seafood.

About the Author

From an early age, Alison Needham has been pondering life's one big question — what's for dinner? She's been a content creator, recipe developer and food photographer for more than two decades. Alison lives in Southern California with her husband, an assortment of quirky pets and occasionally one (or all three) of her young adult children.