thebigfatnoodle

Hokkien mee (serves 4)

300 grams pork belly, skin removed and marinated in a roast pork rub (see recipe here)

5-6 fish balls, sliced

12 prawns, shelled but left uncooked

(optional) 1 squid, peeled and sliced

3 eggs, beaten

200 grams rice vermicelli, cooked and drained

200 grams yellow mee (egg noodles), cooked and drained

1 – 1½ teaspoons fish sauce

1 ½ cups prawn stock

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 lime, quartered

Prawn stock ingredients

200 grams of prawn shells (heads and all)

1 1/2 chicken stock powder

4 cups water, boiled

Reduce this by half to end up with about 2 cups of stock

To make the prawn stock

Fry the prawn heads in a saucepan until the heads and shells turn pink/red. Add the 4 cups of water and boil the shells on a medium heat. Try to use a masher or wooden spoon to crush the prawn shells to extract as much of their flavour as possible.

Simmer until you reduce the stock by about half. Throw away the prawn shells and leave the prawn stock to one side. You should have about 2 cups worth of stock.

To prepare the pork

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Place the pork slices on a baking tray/dish and cover with silver foil. Cook in the oven for two hours. This will render all the fat out of the pork while making it super moist. Once cooked, slice into thin pieces and set aside.

Frying the hokkien mee

In a large wok, heat the oil until it starts to smoke slightly. Fry the garlic for 10 secs and as they turn golden, pour in your beaten eggs. Scramble your eggs and just as they’re cooked through, throw in both your egg and rice vermicelli noodles.

Toss quickly to mix the noodles together. Than pour ½ of the prawn stock around the noodles. Keep frying.

Add your fish cakes and cooked pork and keep frying.

Add half of the remaining stock to the noodles and keep frying. Then add in the raw squid and prawns and keep frying. our in your fish sauce and the remaining prawn stock. Your noodles should be slightly gloopy (don’t worry, that’s the consistency you want!).

Add more fish sauce, salt or white pepper to taste.

Serve with a wedge of fresh lime and a dollop of chilli sauce.