Directions

Make the Rice Crackers

1. Wash the rice several times and drain it thoroughly. I am using jasmine rice. Sushi rice and glutinous rice will also work. Avoid using basmati and brown rice because their grains don't stick together after cooking.

   
2. Add the rice and water into a pot and bring it to a simmer over high heat. This will take just a few minutes. Don't go away because it will overflow if you forget the time.
   
3. Put on the lid. Switch the heat to low and cook the rice for another 15 minutes.
   
4. Once done, fluff the rice and season it with 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and some ground black pepper to taste and mix well.
   
5. Wrap a baking pan with parchment paper. Don't use tin foil because the rice sticks.
   
6. Even spread the rice in the baking pan and press it down tightly so the grains don't separate from each other during the dehydration. Also, the thickness of the rice should be about 1/3 of an inch. If it is too thick, it takes forever to dehydrate.
   
7. Stick the rice tray into the oven. Set the temperature to 200 F, and let it dry for 3.5 hours. During this time, come back ever 30 minutes to open the oven to release the steam.
   
8. This is how the rice looks when you take it out of the oven. It is fully dried and hard. Remove the parchment paper and you can break the rice into bite-size pieces.
   
9. You can make the rice crackers ahead of time and store them in a sealed jar for up to 6 months. Whenever you want to eat rice crackers, you can just directly deep-fry them.
   

Make the Seafood Soup

1. To prepare the shrimp, tear the head off, use a pair of scissors to cut the back open, peel the shell, and remove the vein. I know it is a lot easier to buy pre-peeled shrimps but we need to reserve the heads and shells to make the soup extra flavorful.

   
2. Cut the squid tubes open and score them with crisscross pattern. Make sure the cuts are on the inside of the squid because squid curls from the inside out. Set it aside.
   
3. Use paper towels to dry the shrimp, squid, and scallops. If you want to make this dish budget-friendly, you can get a bag of seafood mix from the frozen section in your local supermarket instead of purchasing different seafood individually.
   
4. Season the seafood with salt, some black pepper to taste, and a drizzle of cooking oil. Mix well and set it aside.
   
5. For the vegetables, peel and slice a carrot into slices, slice a few pieces of bok choy into bite-size pieces, and tear the mushroom into bite-size pieces as well.
   
6. Besides that, finely dice three garlic cloves, slice 1/2 inch of ginger, and one shallot.
   
7. Turn the heat to high. Add a drizzle of oil. Sear the seafood until golden brown. The squid cooks fast, so you have to take it out of the wok as soon as it curls. Set the seafood aside.
   
8. To the same wok, add another drizzle of oil and toss in the shrimp heads, shells, garlic, ginger, and shallots. Stir for a few minutes or until the shrimp heads turn pink. You want to see some orange goodness rendering out from them.
   
9. Season it with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and tomato paste. Stir until everything is well mingled.
   
10. Switch the heat to high and pour in 2 cups of hot water. Put on the lid and let it simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes.
    
11. Use a sieve to fish out the solid ingredients. Now, you have made a rich, flavorful shrimp stock.
    
12. Toss in the carrot, mushrooms, bok choy, and seafood.
    
13. Quickly mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water and pour it into the soup. Stir until it thickens. And your seafood soup is done. Give it a taste to see if you need to adjust the saltiness. Set the soup aside for now.
    
14. Bring the oil to 400°F. Fry the rice crackers for 30-40 seconds or until the crackers are golden brown.
    
15. Fish out the rice crackers and put them on a serving plate. Immediately serve the seafood soup all over the top and enjoy the sizzling sound.