A is an ex-colleague turned good friend. She's also my regular makan kaki. We hit off fantastically and like to yabber about anything under the sun.
A recently requested me to share with her my favorite recipe for "Authentic Penang Hokkein Mee Soup". I learnt this recipe at a cooking class some time back and think its the best tasting version I've ever come across (complete with its own killer chilli sauce). I hope A enjoys it as much as I do!
Ingredients for soup base
(A)
400g prawns without shell (marinate with 1 teaspoon salt). Keep the shells (including the head!)
1kg spare ribs (marinate with 2 teaspoon salt)
200g shallots
(B) Use food processor to grind
200g shallots, 1 tablespoon garlic paste
20g dried chillies (presoaked in hot water), 2 tablespoons chilli paste (WBS brand)
(C) Seasoning
2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons light soya sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Tiparos brand)
(D) Garnishing
1kg kangkong (scalded in boiling water), 500g taugeh (scalded)
Some cut red chillies
Ingredients for accompanying chilli sauce
(E) Use food processor to grind:
10 tablespoons wet chilli paste (WBS brand)
20 shallots, 8 pips garlic
(F)
Prawn heads and shells (enough to fill 1 rice bowl. Can be taken from the 400g prawns used in (A) above)
2 dried chillies (presoaked in water)
Method:
1. Fill pot with 10 cups water and throw in spareribs. Boil under medium heat for 45 mins . Remove meat from spareribs and keep aside. Save the spare rib soup.
2. Use 8 tablespoons oil to stirfry 200g shallots till soft (should still be purplish white in color). Dish out half a portion and continue to stir fry the remaining half till golden brown. Dish out and retain the oil. Keep golden brown shallots for garnishing later.
3. Use food processor to grind the soft shallots from (2) and (B) into a paste.
4. Grind prawn shells and heads into a paste
5. In the remaining oil from (2), stir fry the paste from (3) and prawn shell paste from (4). When fragrant, add 4 cups water, bring to boil and simmer for 15-20mins. Strain the stock.
6. Use another small pot to boil 2 cups of water and prawn meat till cooked. Scoop up prawns when cool and slice to pieces. Save the prawn stock.
7. Combine the sparerib soup from (1), prawn shell stock from (5) and prawn meat stock from (6). Bring to a boil and add in (C) seasoning. Adjust salt level if necessary. Set aside.
8. Use 8 tablespoons oil to fry (F) till fragrant. Discard prawn shells and chillies but retain oil.
9. Combine oil from (8) with 2 tablespoons of oil and paste from (E). Fry till oil separates. Add 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside.
To serve as WET VERSION
Scald 1kg noodles (mixture of yellow noodle and beehoon) first, arrange desired portion in a bowl, garnish with (D). Top up with soup from (7) and serve with a sprinkling of golden shallots and special chilli sauce from (9)
To serve as DRY VERSION
Scald 1kg noodles (mixture of yellow noodle and beehoon) first, arrange desired portion in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of (9). Toss well. Splash 2 ladles of the soup from (7) over. Garnish with (D).
Serves 10.
A recently requested me to share with her my favorite recipe for "Authentic Penang Hokkein Mee Soup". I learnt this recipe at a cooking class some time back and think its the best tasting version I've ever come across (complete with its own killer chilli sauce). I hope A enjoys it as much as I do!
Ingredients for soup base
(A)
400g prawns without shell (marinate with 1 teaspoon salt). Keep the shells (including the head!)
1kg spare ribs (marinate with 2 teaspoon salt)
200g shallots
(B) Use food processor to grind
200g shallots, 1 tablespoon garlic paste
20g dried chillies (presoaked in hot water), 2 tablespoons chilli paste (WBS brand)
(C) Seasoning
2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons light soya sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Tiparos brand)
(D) Garnishing
1kg kangkong (scalded in boiling water), 500g taugeh (scalded)
Some cut red chillies
Ingredients for accompanying chilli sauce
(E) Use food processor to grind:
10 tablespoons wet chilli paste (WBS brand)
20 shallots, 8 pips garlic
(F)
Prawn heads and shells (enough to fill 1 rice bowl. Can be taken from the 400g prawns used in (A) above)
2 dried chillies (presoaked in water)
Method:
1. Fill pot with 10 cups water and throw in spareribs. Boil under medium heat for 45 mins . Remove meat from spareribs and keep aside. Save the spare rib soup.
2. Use 8 tablespoons oil to stirfry 200g shallots till soft (should still be purplish white in color). Dish out half a portion and continue to stir fry the remaining half till golden brown. Dish out and retain the oil. Keep golden brown shallots for garnishing later.
3. Use food processor to grind the soft shallots from (2) and (B) into a paste.
4. Grind prawn shells and heads into a paste
5. In the remaining oil from (2), stir fry the paste from (3) and prawn shell paste from (4). When fragrant, add 4 cups water, bring to boil and simmer for 15-20mins. Strain the stock.
6. Use another small pot to boil 2 cups of water and prawn meat till cooked. Scoop up prawns when cool and slice to pieces. Save the prawn stock.
7. Combine the sparerib soup from (1), prawn shell stock from (5) and prawn meat stock from (6). Bring to a boil and add in (C) seasoning. Adjust salt level if necessary. Set aside.
8. Use 8 tablespoons oil to fry (F) till fragrant. Discard prawn shells and chillies but retain oil.
9. Combine oil from (8) with 2 tablespoons of oil and paste from (E). Fry till oil separates. Add 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside.
To serve as WET VERSION
Scald 1kg noodles (mixture of yellow noodle and beehoon) first, arrange desired portion in a bowl, garnish with (D). Top up with soup from (7) and serve with a sprinkling of golden shallots and special chilli sauce from (9)
To serve as DRY VERSION
Scald 1kg noodles (mixture of yellow noodle and beehoon) first, arrange desired portion in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of (9). Toss well. Splash 2 ladles of the soup from (7) over. Garnish with (D).
Serves 10.
