Dark hokkien noodles - Chinese Cuisine

"This is a dish my mum and Great Aunty Kim cook a lot for Sunday lunch or for a big family get togethers. There is often a big dish of this in the middle of the buffet table because it’s the designated ‘non-spicy’ dish the little ones can eat - and they love it! This is best eaten hot and when the noodles haven't completely soaked up the sauces, giving them a delightfully slippery texture." Poh Ling Yeow

Ingredients



2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped

250 g pork neck or shoulder, or chicken, finely sliced

100 g fish cake, sliced into 5 mm thick pieces (optional) (see Note)

10 medium prawns, shelled, deveined and halved lengthways

½ medium cabbage, cut into 1 cm slices (see Note)

¼ cup (60 mI) thick soy sauce (see Note)

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

500 g hokkien noodles (see Note)

2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock or water

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.



Instructions



In a medium wok or large frypan heat the oil over a high heat and sauté the garlic for a few seconds until slightly golden.



Add the pork or chicken, fish cake and prawns and stir-fry until cooked through, then add the cabbage and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. If using a finer Asian green like choy sum instead of cabbage, add at the end while the noodles are simmering. This will ensure the vegetable isn't overcooked and retains a nice crunch.



Add the caramel soy, oyster sauce, light soy, noodles and chicken stock or water. Simmer until cabbage and noodles are tender and the stock has reduced a little. Serve immediately, portioning into individual bowls or placing on a large platter to share.







Note



• Fish cakes can be found in the fridge or freezer section at Asian grocers.



• Cabbage can be substituted with the equivalent amount of Chinese cabbage (wombok), choy sum or bok choy, sliced into 4 cm pieces.



• Thick soy sauce or caramel soy is different to kecap manis or dark soy. It can be found in Asian grocers.



• You can loosen the noodles first by soaking them in boiled water for about 2 minutes before adding to the frypan.