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Singapore Hokkien prawn mee
Hokkien mee (福建炒虾面): braised yellow and rice noodles in rich prawn stock
Singapore's Hokkien mee is nothing like the dark, soy-coated noodles of Kuala Lumpur: here yellow egg noodles and thick rice vermicelli are fried with egg, then braised in a cloudy, intensely savoury stock made from prawn heads and shells until the noodles soak it up and stay just wet. Hawkers at Old Airport Road and Geylang serve it with lime and fiery sambal belacan on a square of paper or opeh leaf. It is a late-lunch or supper dish, eaten hot from the wok. Traditional versions use pork belly and pork lard; this one uses prawns and squid only, with vegetable oil. The common mistake is adding all the stock at once, which makes it soupy; add it in two goes and let the noodles drink it. Chef's tip: fry the prawn heads hard until they turn deep orange before adding water; the stock is the whole dish.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the prawn stock
For the noodles
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Peel 14 oz raw shell-on king prawns, leaving tails on, and devein. Keep the heads and shells. Put the peeled prawns in the fridge until needed.
10 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a pot over a high heat. Fry the heads and shells, pressing them with a spoon, for 4–5 minutes until deep orange and fragrant.
5 minStep 3: Add 4 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve, pressing hard on the shells. You need about 600 ml of stock.
20 minStep 4: Bring the stock back to a simmer, drop in the peeled prawns and cook for 2 minutes until pink and opaque all the way through. Lift out. Add 7 oz squid tubes for 1 minute until just white and lift out too.
3 minStep 5: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry 5 cloves garlic for 20 seconds, then pour in 3 eggs and scramble roughly until just set.
1 minStep 6: Add 10 ½ oz fresh yellow egg noodles and 5 ½ oz thick rice vermicelli (bee hoon) and toss for 2 minutes until hot and lightly coloured.
2 minStep 7: Add half the stock, 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce and ½ tsp white pepper, cover with a lid and let it bubble for 2 minutes so the noodles absorb the stock.
2 minStep 8: Add the rest of the stock, 7 oz beansprouts and 1 bunch Chinese chives and toss for 2–3 minutes until the noodles are glossy, moist and almost all the stock has been absorbed.
3 minStep 9: Return the prawns and squid, toss for 1 minute until heated through, and serve at once with 4 calamansi or limes and 4 tbsp sambal belacan on the side. Squeeze the lime over and mix in sambal to taste.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does singapore Hokkien prawn mee take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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